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After a sensational showing at the Paris Olympics, Nigeria claimed four places to enter the top 10 teams in the world
Nigeria has made a huge leap in the latest FIBA World Ranking for Women, moving up four places to claim the eighth spot, ahead of countries like Germany and Brazil.
This marks the first time an African national team, whether male or female, has entered the top 10 of the FIBA World Rankings.
D’Tigress' historic run in Paris
Nigeria’s D’Tigress’ historic leap into the top 10 comes on the back of a sensational run during the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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D’Tigress secured their place in the history books in France by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals in either the men's or women's categories.
Their journey began with a commanding 75-62 victory over Australia, who later went on to win the bronze medal and despite a setback against hosts France, where they lost 54-75, the Nigerian team bounced back with a strong 79-70 win over Canada to advance from Group B.
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Although their Olympic run ended with a 74-88 loss to the United States in the quarter-finals, the accomplishments of D’Tigress were celebrated across Africa and the groundbreaking team has been duly rewarded.
Olympics set pace for world rankings
The United States, who continued their dominance by winning their 10th title and eighth consecutive gold medal, remain the top-ranked team with 883.3 points.
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Several other teams also saw significant changes in their rankings due to their performances at the Paris Olympic Games.
Australia, for instance, climbed to second place after a thrilling bronze medal finish, while France, leapt into third place following their narrow 66-67 loss to the United States in the final.
Germany also made headlines with their debut Olympic appearance, advancing to the quarter-finals with two Group Phase victories. Their success has propelled them up eight places to 13th in the rankings. Meanwhile, Serbia, who reached the quarter-finals in Paris, moved up from 10th to 9th place.
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