By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 18, 2026

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have been seeded in pot 2 ahead of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 draw, which will take place in Berlin on April 21, with 16 nations set to discover their group-stage opponents for the expanded global tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The draw, one of the key milestones in the build-up to the competition, will be held at Kraftwerk Berlin.

This year’s tournament marks an expansion from 12 to 16 teams following the success of the 2022 edition in Sydney.

The competition will run from September 4 to 13 in Germany, with host nation Germany placed in pot 1 alongside the United States, France and Australia.

Nigeria will be appearing at the showpiece event for the third time after their outing in 2006 and 2018 as reigning champions United States will be aiming for a fifth consecutive title, while Korea extend their record appearance streak to 18 editions.

Italy return to the competition for the first time in 32 years, while Hungary will feature for the first time in 28 years. Mali also make history by qualifying for consecutive World Cups for the first time.

The 16 teams have been seeded into four pots based on the FIBA world ranking, with geographical rules ensuring no group will contain more than two European sides and a maximum of one team from Africa, the Americas and Asia or Oceania.

Pot 2 includes China, Belgium, Spain and Nigeria, confirming D’Tigress’ status among the continent’s leading sides and placing them in a competitive bracket ahead of the draw.

Pot 3 consists of Japan, Puerto Rico, Italy and South Korea while pot 4 features Turkey, Czechia, Mali and Hungary.

The draw ceremony will also feature several high-profile basketball figures. FIBA Hall of Famer and Women’s World Cup global ambassador Sue Bird will present the trophy, having won four world titles with the United States during her career.

For D’Tigress, the draw comes at a crucial moment in their preparations for the global showpiece.

Five days after the Berlin ceremony, the African champions will commence their WNBA tour in the United States as they step up their build-up to the tournament.

The Nigerian side will open camp in Los Angeles today before facing the Los Angeles Sparks on April 25, Minnesota Lynx on April 27 and the Indiana Fever on May 2, a series of fixtures designed to test them against elite opposition ahead of the World Cup.

Their clash with the Lynx will mark only the fourth time a WNBA franchise has faced an international team, which underlines the significance of the tour for D’Tigress, who have previously tested themselves against top-level opposition, including the United States.

Their recent form in qualifying in March included wins over Colombia and the Philippines, alongside defeats to South Korea, France and Germany, results which form part of their wider preparation schedule rather than affecting their World Cup status.

With the draw now set, attention turns to how D’Tigress will be grouped in a tournament that continues to grow in scale, competitiveness and global significance.

Source Punch Ng

Posted April 18, 2026

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