Nigeria’s historic run in the Paris Olympics came to an end as they were defeated 88-74 by the United States in the women’s basketball quarterfinals.
This match saw the USA continue their pursuit of an eighth consecutive women’s basketball Olympic gold medal. They will face Australia, who triumphed over Serbia 85-67, in Friday’s semi-final, with a spot in the gold-medal game on the line.
Nigeria became the first African team, male or female, to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic Games by defeating Canada in their final group match on Sunday.
D’Tigress, as they are known, had only secured their second Olympic victory 20 years after their first, by beating Australia in their opening pool game on July 29. However, overcoming the experienced USA squad proved to be an insurmountable challenge.
Trailing the USA by nine points at the end of the first quarter, Nigeria saw the deficit increase to 19 by halftime. The USA extended their dominance in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 28 points, and ultimately securing a comfortable victory at the Accor Arena.
Since women’s basketball debuted at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the USA has won nine out of twelve possible gold medals. Their consistent performance continued as they powered through to the semi-finals.
Friday’s other semi-final will feature hosts France and Belgium after they triumphed over Germany and Spain, respectively. Marine Johannes was pivotal in France’s 84-71 victory, scoring a game-high 24 points. France, which won silver at London 2012 and bronze at Tokyo 2020, is now aiming to complete the set with Olympic gold on home soil.
Belgium, who made their Olympic debut in 2020 and finished seventh, secured a place in the semi-finals by defeating Spain 79-66. They are now guaranteed to compete for a medal in Paris.
The two losing nations in Friday’s semi-finals will face off in the bronze medal match, adding to the excitement as the tournament progresses towards its conclusion.