The Federal Government has conferred national honors and cash rewards on Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, following their historic fifth consecutive AfroBasket Women’s championship victory.
Each player was awarded the prestigious Order of the Niger (OON) and received $100,000 along with a flat, while members of the coaching staff, led by Rena Wakama, were gifted $50,000 each.
President Bola Tinubu announced the rewards during a reception in Abuja on Monday, where he was represented by his wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The D’Tigress claimed their seventh AfroBasket title after a hard-fought 78-64 victory over Mali in the final on Sunday. The win extended their unbeaten streak in African basketball to 29 games since 2015.
Despite a slow start, the Nigerian team rallied in the second quarter, leveling the scores at 41-41 by halftime. A dominant third quarter (20-15) and strong performances from Amy Okonkwo (19 points) and Ezinne Kalu (20 points) sealed the victory.
This comes just days after the Super Falcons were similarly honored for winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, reinforcing Nigeria’s dominance in women’s sports across the continent.
With this triumph, D’Tigress has further cemented its legacy as Africa’s most formidable women’s basketball team.
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