Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, the D’Tigresses have defeated the highly-favored Australian Opals 75-62 in their opening match of the Paris 2024 Olympics in a stunning upset that has sent shockwaves through the basketball world.
The game, held at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, on Monday, saw the world’s 12th-ranked team topple the 3rd-ranked Australians in a display of determination and skill.
Led by the outstanding performance of Ezinne Kalu, who contributed 19 points and 5 rebounds, Nigeria outplayed the five-time Olympic medalists despite a strong start from the Australians.
The Opals initially surged ahead with a 13-5 lead, but Nigeria quickly rallied, ending the first quarter with an 18-17 advantage.
The second quarter proved decisive as Nigeria extended their lead to 41-28 by halftime, capitalizing on a whopping 16 turnovers by the Australian side.
The Opals’ Alanna Smith fought back valiantly in the second half, finishing as her team’s top scorer with 15 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Nigerian team’s momentum.
With Amy Okonkwo and Elizabeth Balogun adding to the Opals’ woes, the D’Tigresses went into half-time with a surprise 41-28 lead.
Australia, coached by Sandy Brondellom, showed some real urgency at the start and were all over Nigeria in the opening few minutes. Jade Melbourne and Ezi Magbegor led the early onslaught as the Opals raced to a 13-5 lead.
However, Nigeria, playing their second successive Summer Games, responded with a magnificent Ezinne Kalu leading their lines. In fact, it was Nigeria who had their noses ahead after the first quarter at 18-17 largely thanks to Kalu’s 11 points, which included three three-pointers.
As the game entered its final stages, Australia managed to narrow the gap to just two points with six minutes remaining. However, a crucial missed opportunity from Smith at the free-throw line, followed by a series of successful plays from Nigeria’s Promise Amukamara and Amy Okonkwo, sealed the fate of the match.
This victory marks a significant milestone for Nigeria in just their second consecutive Summer Games appearance.
It also serves as a wake-up call for the Australian team, who must now regroup before facing world No. 5 Canada and hosts France in their remaining Group B matches.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has described Nigeria’s victory over Australia as potentially the “Biggest upset of the Olympics so far,” highlighting the magnitude of the D’Tigresses’ achievement in their opening game.
The upset has injected an extra dose of excitement into the Olympic basketball tournament, with high expectations on Nigeria to see if they can build on this momentous victory to go further, while Australia faces the challenge of bouncing back to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
The Opals will face world No. 5 Canada in their next Group B match on Thursday before a showdown against hosts France, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winners, next Monday.
