D'Tigress suffer second straight defeat at FIBA Women's World cup

D'Tigress are staring at an early exit from the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after falling 71-67 to Hungary in a hard-fought Group B encounter in Berlin, leaving Nigeria with everything to play for against France.

Nigeria produced a spirited fightback but could not overturn Hungary's early dominance, suffering a second consecutive defeat after opening their campaign with a loss to South Korea.

For Hungary, the victory carried historic significance. It was their first Women's Basketball World Cup win in 28 years, providing the perfect response after their crushing opening defeat to France.

From the opening tip-off, Hungary imposed its physical presence and shooting efficiency, forcing Nigeria to play catch-up for much of the afternoon.

The European side established a solid first-half advantage behind the outstanding play of Juhasz, who delivered an impressive double-double before halftime with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Alongside Takacs-Kiss, the duo combined for 36 points, repeatedly punishing Nigeria's defence and keeping Hungary firmly in control.

Despite trailing for most of the game, Rena Wakama's side refused to surrender.

D'Tigress gradually cut into the deficit and threatened to turn the game around in the closing stages, but Hungary responded whenever Nigeria appeared to build momentum.

The African champions struggled to generate enough second-chance opportunities as Hungary maintained its composure to close out a narrow 71-67 victory.

The game's defining story unfolded inside the paint. Hungary's interior dominance proved decisive as they scored 42 points in the paint, grabbed 38 defensive rebounds and limited Nigeria's second-chance scoring opportunities.

Those numbers prevented D'Tigress from building sustained offensive momentum, despite their determined late push.

The result ranks among the tournament's biggest surprises. Nigeria entered the World Cup as the 8th-ranked team in the FIBA Women's World Rankings, while Hungary came into the competition ranked 19th.

Hungary's victory became the second major upset of the day after Mali's shock win over Spain, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this year's tournament.

With back-to-back defeats against South Korea and Hungary, D'Tigress now face a daunting challenge.

Nigeria's final Group B fixture against European powerhouse France has effectively become a do-or-die encounter.

Victory on Monday, would keep alive hopes of reaching the knockout stage, while another defeat would almost certainly bring the African champions' World Cup journey to an early end.