Basketball
With Nigeria demystifying US, ‘Dream Team’s era coming to an end?
Team USA have dominated men’s basketball at the Olympics, winning six of the seven gold medals available – and earning the iconic ‘Dream Team’ nickname.
Following the inclusion of professional players in 1992, they have boasted NBA legends such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
But there are concerns these Olympics could be a repeat of the 2004 Games, where Argentina upset them in the semi-finals before going on to beat Italy.
The Americans have struggled in their preparations for Tokyo, suffering shock warm-up defeats by Nigeria and Australia, followed by back-to-back wins over Argentina and Spain.
Despite those victories, there are still problems for Gregg Popovich’s team as Bradley Beal and Kevin Love were forced to pull out because of Covid protocols and injury respectively. Zach LaVine, though, has now been cleared to travel after initially being withdrawn through Covid protocols.
“I think I am going to play for the Tune Squad” said LeBron James following the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round exit in the NBA play-offs.
Preferring to promote the sequel to the Space Jam movie this summer, it will be the second straight Olympics without the two-time gold medallist – and he will not be the only top star missing.
Anthony Davis has not recovered from a groin injury that kept him to a very limited role in the Lakers’ series loss to Phoenix Suns.
Seven-time NBA All-Star Stephen Curry, who has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, has also opted out.
It seems the biggest names are now prioritising rest and recovery in order to prepare for another run at the NBA championship.
But it would be unwise to dismiss the quality this team boasts. They still have six-time All-Star Damian Lillard, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant in their ranks.
‘We are still working at becoming a team’
“These international teams are experienced and we are still working at becoming a team” said Lillard after their 91-83 loss against Australia.
“None of us have ever played with each other. We’re just trying to figure it out,” said Tatum after their 90-87 defeat by Nigeria, which showed Team USA are struggling to hit their stride as a unit.
That problem may get worse when Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Devin Booker arrive after playing in the NBA Finals, with Popovich unsure of how they will fit in.
Team USA men’s fixtures Sunday, 25 July, 13:00 BST v France Wednesday, 28 July, 05:40 BST v Iran Saturday, 31 July, 13:00 BST v Czech Republic
Quality of the opposition
Lillard added: “We’re not just going to roll the ball out and beat these teams. These teams have a starting five of NBA players now.”
That was true of their Australian opponents, with the Boomers able to call upon Patty Mills, Joe Ingles and Matisse Thybulle.
There is also an abundance of NBA talent among the other nations. Slovenia are led by Luka Doncic and France’s talent is highlighted by three-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert.
But the biggest strength for these teams is their familiarity. They have mostly been able to keep the core of their players together for multiple competitions, helping them build much-needed chemistry.
While the USA still possess the best players at the Olympics, it seems their place at the top of the podium is under serious threat.
Women’s team suffers warm-up wobbles
Team USA women’s basketball side will be chasing a seventh straight Olympic gold when their tournament starts on 27 July.
They have won their last 49 Olympic matches – a run stretching back to Atlanta in 1996 – but have suffered the same issues as the men in their preparations.
It is still a team with so much quality, including seven first overall WNBA draft picks led by Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who have racked up eight Olympic and seven World Cup gold medals between them.
“USA Basketball has never been in a better place,” said US Olympic team head coach Dawn Staley prior to the team’s three warm-up encounters.
But it didn’t take long for concerns to surface as they lost back-to-back games against the WNBA All-Stars and Australia.
Team USA women’s team fixtures Tuesday, 27 July, 05:40 BST v Nigeria Friday, 30 July, 05:40 BST v Japan Monday, 2 August, 05:40 BST v France
A hip injury has also meant Taurasi, 39, is yet to play, but the team will still benefit from her experience and leadership off the court.
There was welcome good news with a 93-62 success in the final warm-up match against Nigeria, who they will face in their opening match in Tokyo.
And despite their wobbles, Staley’s side are still favourites to triumph when the contest ends on Sunday, 8 August.
-BBC
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
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Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, on their triumphant outing at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, describing the victory as a testament to the nation’s indomitable spirit and sporting excellence.
In line with what the women’s football team, Super Falcons, experienced barely a week ago, another dollar rainfall could be in the offing for the basketball team.
In a statement released Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised the Coach Rena Wakama-led side for their “skill, resilience, determination, and teamwork,” which powered them to a 78–64 victory over Mali in Sunday night’s pulsating final at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
With this win, Nigeria extended their dominance in African women’s basketball, securing their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title and seventh overall, further solidifying their status as the continent’s most successful women’s team.
The President, who had earlier dispatched a nine-man presidential delegation to Abidjan to support the team in the final, commended the players for rising to the occasion despite a slow start that saw them lose the first quarter to a determined Malian side.
“Your superb performance throughout the competition has made Nigeria proud. Like the Super Falcons, you have inspired our young ladies. You embodied the indomitable Nigerian spirit, the power of unity, and the rewards of hard work,” President Tinubu said.
He added that D’Tigress’ sustained excellence had “written their names in history” and served as a beacon of what Africa can offer on the global sporting stage.
The President also praised Head Coach Rena Wakama and her technical crew for their outstanding leadership, and commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for their steadfast support to the team.
In an apparent nod to the recent cash rewards showered on the Super Falcons, there is strong speculation that a similar financial windfall may await D’Tigress on their return to Nigeria.
“The Federal Government and Nigerians will never forget the sacrifices and remain grateful for the highly elevating performances,” Tinubu stated, assuring the team of continued support as they prepare for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments next March.
President Tinubu concluded his message by expressing eagerness to personally receive the victorious team and their trophy in Abuja and wished them a safe trip back home.
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South Sudan’s Bright Starlets are the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket bronze medallist.
The debutants who made the competition on a wild card, stunned 11-time champions Senegal 66-65 in the Third-Place Game on Sunday, August 3 to clinch their first ever medal in the continental showpiece.
Their win over Senegal, who were looking to end a decade-long wait for gold, makes it the third time the West Africans have missed out on the podium in 26 editions. They missed in the inaugural edition in 1966 and in 2021 in Cameroon, finishing fourth on both occasions.
Senegal had a start to forget, scoring a single point in the opening seven minutes, finishing the period trailing 26-10. An 18-9 show in the second stanza got their comeback efforts going.
South Sudan still had a 10-point lead with 4 minutes and 41 seconds to play in the third, but Victorine Thiaw contributed seven in a 10-0 run for the Senegalese, to level the score at 44 and it was game on.
Khadija Faye handed Senegal their first short-lived lead at 46-45, but they trailed 50-48 heading to the final quarter.
Lena Timera gave the 11-time champions their biggest lead yet with a step back jump shot from deep for 58-54 but the debutants refused to budge.
A dramatic final minute saw Thiaw and Faye miss four crucial points from the charity stripe with the score tied at 65. Cierra Dillard’s foul with 6 seconds left gave Nyamer Lual Diew the chance to win it for South Sudan, converting one for the massive victory.
HERO
Maria Teresa Gakdeng, on debut for the Bright Starlets, has continued to prove a formidable addition for the East Africans, and she demonstrated that yet again with a huge performance.
She came two blocks shy of a triple-double after shooting for 14, the team’s second highest, while grabbing 13 rebounds and added three assists to finish with an efficiency rating of 26.
Skipper Adut Bulgak scored 14 as well, while leading the side on defense with 11 of her 13 rebounds. Delicia Washington was the side’s top scorer with 22, coming two assists off a double-double and adding 5 rebounds.
The trio will, however, have Diew to thank for the victory in regulation time, as a miss would probably have send the match to overtime.
STATS DON’T LIE
Despite allowing Senegal to score 30 from their 29 turnovers, and missing 14 of their 32 chances from the charity stripe, South Sudan kept themselves in the game with a better show on field goals where they converted 45.8% of their chances against Senegal’s 38.3%.
They out rebounded Senegal 44-26, 29-17 on defense to deny the 2023 silver medalist any second chance scoring opportunities.
BOTTOM LINE
South Sudan have left an indelible mark on debut, reaching the podium in a historic run that saw them come from two losses in the Group Phase to beat Egypt, Uganda and Senegal for the very first time and become the first debutant to be on the podium.
The West Africans, meanwhile, will have some reflections as they are yet to reclaim their dominance of yesteryears. This is the second time since their last title in 2015 that they are missing out on the podium.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Wins happen, losses happen, you can’t win them all. What really matters in sports is how you regroup the next day. You have to have a short memory in this field.
Speaking to our resilience as a team and the mental toughness that took to overcome what happened yesterday [semifinal loss against Mali] and throughout this tournament… This is our first run in AfroBasket and our team deserves to be here.
“The girls have shown it this time around, especially of how young they are. I am looking forward to what the future has for us.” South Sudan power forward Adut Bulgak.
FIBA
Final Standing of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket
1. Nigeria 2. Mali 3. South Sudan 4. Senegal 5. Cameroon 6. Mozambique 7. Cote d’Ivoire 8. Uganda 9. Egypt 10. Angola 11. Rwanda 12. Guinea
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