Nigeria’s D’Tigress have reached the final of the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket tournament for the fifth consecutive time after a hard-fought 75–68 victory over Senegal in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

In a match billed as the “final before the final,” the Nigerians overcame an eight-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to outplay their long-time rivals. Senegal had earlier dominated the third quarter, outscoring Nigeria 21–9, led by standout performer Cierra Dillard, who finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

But Rena Wakama’s team showed their resilience. Ezinne Kalu, who contributed 19 points, helped turn the tide in Nigeria’s favour with a key steal and two-pointer. A hook shot from Victory Macaulay extended Nigeria’s lead to 69–66 with less than three minutes to play.

In the closing minutes, the D’Tigress outscored Senegal 10–3 to seal their place in the final. The win extends Nigeria’s unbeaten streak in the tournament to 28 games. Angola remains the last team to defeat Nigeria in the competition, in a third-place game in October 2015.

The D’Tigress will face the winner of the other semi-final clash between South Sudan and Mali.