Nigeria Wins Historic Fifth Straight Women’s AfroBasket Championship

Nigeria has achieved an unprecedented milestone by securing their fifth consecutive Women’s AfroBasket championship, a record unmatched by any other African nation in the tournament’s history.

The D’Tigress defeated a determined Mali squad 78-64 in the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket final, marking one of their most challenging victories throughout the competition.

This triumph extends Nigeria’s remarkable unbeaten run to 29 games, a streak that began following their third-place finish at the 2015 tournament held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Related: D’Tigress Records Historic Olympic Win Against Canada

True to form in several of their early tournament matches, Nigeria started sluggishly against Mali.

However, responding to Mali’s aggressive play, coach Rena Wakama’s squad found their rhythm in the second period, entering halftime deadlocked at 41-41.

Amy Okonkwo entered the game with clear instructions: be aggressive offensively and defensively. She delivered with an efficient 7-of-11 shooting performance, connecting on 4-of-7 three-point attempts for 19 points. Ezinne Kalu topped Nigeria’s scoring with 20 points.

Despite Sika Koné’s valiant effort to deliver Mali their first Women’s AfroBasket title since 2007, her double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds couldn’t overcome Nigeria’s dominance. The D’Tigress have established themselves as Africa’s premier women’s basketball power since 2015.