By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 25, 2026

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team will face Los Angeles Sparks today as they open a three-game United States tour aimed at preparing for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The pre-season fixture, scheduled for 8:00pm Nigerian time at Viejas Arena in San Diego, marks a historic occasion, with Nigeria becoming the first African national team to face a WNBA side and only the fourth international team to do so.

The match also represents Los Angeles Sparks’ first appearance in San Diego since May 2010, when they defeated the China women’s national team 78–58 in the city’s first WNBA fixture.

D’Tigress head into the game in transition, with a significantly youthful squad dominated by collegiate players as the Nigeria Basketball Federation continues its rebuild following the departure of several experienced figures.

Among the standout names is Maryland guard Oluchi Okananwa, who has emerged as a central figure in the team’s new direction.

The 21-player training camp roster includes 15 players drawn from 14 United States college programmes, reflecting the most extensive reliance on the NCAA pipeline in the team’s history.

Okananwa’s rise has been rapid, following a standout season in which she averaged 17.8 points and led her team in scoring in 28 of 33 games.

Her competitive mentality was highlighted during a viral moment at the NCAA tournament, where she responded to intense coaching with a strong performance.

Reflecting on that moment, she said, “Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart. I’ve told her this before, and I’ll keep on telling her this forever. I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day.”

She is joined by a host of emerging talents including Stephanie Okechukwu, the tallest player in NCAA women’s basketball history at 7 feet 1 inch, as well as Stanford duo Shay Ijiwoye and Nora Ezike, Syracuse centre Uche Izoje, and Miami forward Danielle Osho.

Despite the youthful composition, the squad retains an experienced core led by Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, Victoria Macaulay, Nicole Enabosi and Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, providing balance as the team prepares for a demanding international calendar.

Kunayi-Akpanah said the tour goes beyond exhibition purposes, stressing the importance of testing the team’s systems under pressure.

“These aren’t just exhibition games. These are games for us to test our plays, our systems and how we communicate under pressure. Basically, everything we’ve been building. All is to arrive in our best shape for the World Cup in September,” she said as quoted by ESPN.

The tour forms part of broader preparations for the World Cup in Berlin, where Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside France, South Korea and Hungary.

They will open their campaign against South Korea on September 4 before facing Hungary the following day.

Head coach Rena Wakama, who recently served as head coach of Hive BC and is also an assistant with Chicago Sky, will not be on the bench for the tour due to her WNBA commitments.

The NBBF confirmed that the team will instead be led by assistant coach Wani Muganguzi.

Wakama, however, emphasised the importance of the opportunity to face WNBA opposition, noting that such fixtures are crucial for the team’s development.

“Opportunities like this are critical for our growth as a team. Competing against top WNBA talent challenges us in every aspect of the game, physically, mentally, and tactically,” Wakama told NBBF.

“It allows us to refine our identity and build the cohesion needed to succeed on the world stage. We are not just preparing to show up, we are preparing to make a statement.”

Their opponents, Los Angeles Sparks, enter the contest with a reshaped roster following significant off-season changes, including the arrival of veteran Ariel Atkins and the drafting of Ta’Niya Latson and Amelia Hassett.

The Sparks have also retained experienced Nigerian heritage forward Nneka Ogwumike, who will come up against a side also featuring players from her alma mater, Stanford, in what represents a notable full-circle moment.

Defensively, Los Angeles are expected to be tested by the physicality and athleticism of D’Tigress, while they will also aim to improve their offensive output after averaging 33.7 per cent from three-point range last season.

The fixture offers an early indication of progress in Nigeria’s possible rebuild, as they seek to blend NCCA talents with experienced leadership ahead of the World Cup, with the United States tour providing a valuable platform to measure their readiness against elite opposition.

Source Punch Ng

Posted April 25, 2026

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