The Nigeria women's basketball team, D’Tigress, ended their impressive run at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Wednesday, falling 88-74 to the United States in the quarterfinals. Despite a determined push in the final quarter, Coach Rena Wakama's squad couldn't overcome the early deficit, having dropped the first three quarters.
A’ja Wilson opened the scoring, but Promise Amukamara quickly responded with a drive into the paint to tie the game at 2-2. However, the USA soon took control, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. Though D’Tigress managed to narrow the gap to 13-8, the Americans finished the first quarter strong, leading 26-17.
In the second quarter, D’Tigress fought to stay in the game, trimming the lead to 31-25. Yet, the USA pulled away, winning the quarter 26-16 and extending their lead to 50-31 by halftime. The third quarter saw the Nigerians struggle further, being outscored 24-15.
In a spirited final quarter, D’Tigress mounted a comeback, outscoring the USA 26-12. Unfortunately, their efforts fell short as the Americans secured the 88-74 victory.
The United States, aiming for an unprecedented 10th gold medal, proved too formidable for D’Tigress, moving one step closer to their historic goal.