Nigeria’s D’Tigress etched their name in the history books by becoming the first team to win five consecutive Women’s AfroBasket titles, following a hard-fought 78–64 victory over Mali in the final held on Sunday, August 3, in Abidjan.
With this triumph, Nigeria not only extended their dominance on the continent but also stretched their unbeaten run in the competition to 29 games—dating back to the third-place match at the 2015 edition in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
As seen in earlier games, Nigeria had a sluggish start, but Coach Rena Wakama’s side responded to Mali’s intensity, rallying to level the score at 41–41 by halftime. A composed second-half performance sealed the historic win for the reigning champions.
South Sudan’s Bright Starlets capped off a dream debut by clinching the bronze medal with a dramatic 66–65 win over 11-time champions Senegal in the third-place game.
Granted a wild card entry, the East African side stunned the tournament with their resilience and flair. Their victory marked South Sudan’s first-ever medal at the continental showpiece and only the third time Senegal has missed the podium in 26 editions—after 1966 and 2021.
Senegal endured a nightmare start, scoring just one point in the opening seven minutes and trailing 26–10 after the first quarter. They clawed back with an 18–9 second-quarter run and eventually tied the game at 44 in the third, thanks to a 10–0 surge led by Victorine Thiaw.
Khadija Faye briefly gave Senegal a 46–45 lead, but South Sudan held a narrow 50–48 edge heading into the final quarter. Lena Timera’s deep jumper gave Senegal their biggest lead at 58–54, but the debutants refused to back down.
In a tense final minute, missed free throws by Thiaw and Faye left the door open. With six seconds remaining and the score tied at 65, Cierra Dillard’s foul sent Nyamer Lual Diew to the line. She converted one of two to seal a famous win.
Maria Teresa Gakdeng, making her tournament debut, delivered a standout performance—finishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and eight blocks, just two shy of a triple-double. She posted an efficiency rating of 26.
Captain Adut Bulgak also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Delicia Washington led all scorers with 22 points, adding eight rebounds and eight assists—just two assists short of a double-double.
Despite committing 29 turnovers and missing 14 of 32 free throws, South Sudan outshot Senegal from the field (45.8% to 38.3%) and dominated the boards, out-rebounding their opponents 44–26, including 29–17 on the defensive end—denying Senegal crucial second-chance opportunities.