Nigeria’s D’Tigress are through to the final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket after edging past Senegal 75–68 in a tense semifinal showdown at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Côte d’Ivoire.
The victory keeps alive Nigeria’s quest to make history as the first African nation to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles.
Billed as the “final before the final,” the matchup brought together two of Africa’s basketball giants and fierce rivals, and it more than lived up to expectations.
Senegal came out firing, jumping to an 11–2 lead within the first three minutes of play. But Nigeria responded with a stunning 13–0 run to seize a 14–11 advantage, eventually closing the first quarter ahead at 22–17.
The second quarter proved equally competitive, with both teams going back and forth. D’Tigress narrowly edged the period 21–20, punctuated by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Victoria Thiaw — her first points of the game — to take a 43–37 lead into halftime.
Senegal roared back in the third quarter, tightening up defensively and dominating the scoreboard with a 21–9 run. The comeback handed them a 58–52 lead heading into the final frame.
