African champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress, suffered an 88–79 defeat to the Minnesota Lynx in a competitive pre-season friendly held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday.
The Nigerian side delivered a determined showing, displaying resilience and moments of brilliance as part of their ongoing WNBA pre-season tour, which comes on the heels of their earlier meeting with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Nigeria’s starting lineup of Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Suzie Rafiu, Uche Izoje and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah were quickly immersed in an intense, high-tempo contest.
The opening quarter remained closely contested, with the Lynx narrowly taking it 27–26.
Both teams continued to exchange baskets in a tightly fought second quarter. Despite the balanced play, Minnesota capitalised on crucial opportunities to edge ahead 46–43 at the break, with Ezinne Kalu orchestrating Nigeria’s attacking efforts.
Following halftime, the Lynx asserted greater control, exploiting turnovers and fast-break chances to widen the gap.
They entered the final quarter with a 67–59 advantage, maintaining composure even as D’Tigress responded through a mix of interior and perimeter scoring.
In the closing quarter, the Nigerian side mounted a late push with a series of scoring runs.
However, Minnesota remained steady, utilising disciplined shot selection and converting free throws to secure the win.
Ezinne Kalu led D’Tigress with an impressive 25 points, alongside four rebounds, two assists and one steal, combining long-range accuracy with aggressive drives to the basket. Gabby White contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, while Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah recorded 11 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block. Uche Izoje added eight points and seven rebounds.
For the Lynx, Courtney Williams finished as top scorer with 17 points, while Olivia Miles posted 11 points and five assists. Nia Coffey also made a notable contribution with 10 points.
From a statistical standpoint, Minnesota’s shooting efficiency proved pivotal, converting 50 per cent of their field goal attempts compared to Nigeria’s 40 per cent. They also led in assists and fast-break points, although D’Tigress dominated the boards 49–33 and matched their opponents in points scored in the paint.
The match offers valuable preparation for D’Tigress as they look ahead to their final fixture of the tour against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, 2 May.
