Nigeria’s women basketball team D’Tigress despite losing to the USA 88-74 points in their quarter-final game of the Paris 2024 Olympics went down fighting and earning the praise of Nigerian fans for their gallantry.
The US team who are the defending champions left no one in doubt about who was in charge as they dominated the game as they barrel down to their eight straight wins of the Olympic gold.
They will face Australia, who beat Serbia 85-67, on Friday with a place in the gold-medal final up for grabs.
Nigeria became the first African side – male or female – to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic Games by beating Canada in their final group match last Sunday.
After registering a win on their Olympic debut in Athens in 2004, Nigeria had to wait 20 years for their second victory – beating Australia in their opening pool game on 29 July – but overcoming a vastly experienced USA was a step too far.
After getting off to slow starts the last few games, the U.S. altered its starting lineup inserting Young for Diana Taurasi. It was the first time Taurasi didn’t start since her first Olympics in 2004.
The move worked as the Americans were up 26-17 after the first quarter — the first time they had a lead after one quarter since the opening win over Japan.
Young had five points early before tweaking her ankle when she landed on a Nigerian player’s foot while shooting a jumper. Taurasi subbed in and hit her first shot — a 3-pointer from the top of the key — that made it 24-12 late in the first.
Nigeria hung around and was only down 31-27 before Wilson, Young and Kelsey Plum took over. The Las Vegas Aces’ trio scored the first 15 points, including eight by Wilson, during a 21-6 run to close the half that gave the Americans a 52-33 halftime cushion.
The U.S. kept the spurt going in the third quarter, scoring the first 10 points to give the Nigerians no hopes of a comeback.
Promise Amukamara scored 19 to lead Nigeria. Amy Okonkwo added 17, and Ezinne Kalu 16.
With this being the U.S. team’s first game in Paris, the contest drew some fellow Olympians including men’s team players LeBron James, Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker as well as American swimming greats Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Members of the U.S. rowing team were also in attendance. With AP reports
