2024 FIBA Women's Basketball Olympic Qualifier Tournaments: Nigeria beats Senegal 72-65 in opening game in Belgium
The continental rivals squared off in Antwerp, Belgium with Amy Okonkwo playing a starring role for Nigeria as they took an important step on the road to Paris 2024
Basketball
In the first game of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for basketball in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday (8 February), Nigeria won 72-65 on the strength of Amy Okonkwo’s double-double. The 27-year-old scored 21 points and registered 10 rebounds in a victory that could have big implications for Nigeria's quest for Olympic qualification.
Nigerian coach Rena Wakama said the team chose the word "dauntless" when deciding what their team focus would be for this tournament, and that it showed in the way the team played.
"I’m so happy they could literally do anything to put their minds to and it was as a coach to see them come together and fight back when things weren’t going out way," Wakama said in the postgame press conference.
Senegal took the lead in the second quarter, and held onto it until Nigeria made a run in the fourth, including two big shots from Lauren Ebo. Senegal’s Yacine Diop scored 21 points in the first half, but went cold later in the game.
This game was a rematch of the 2023 FIBA Afrobasket Finals. Nigeria won that game 84-74 behind another big game from Amy Okonkwo. Senegal made a change at head coach for 2024, and their new coach Alberto Carlos Antuna Leal said despite the loss, he was impressed with his new team.
"This was my first game as a head coach of on national team. And I think almost everything I wanted to to see, I saw today. I think they've been really good. They competed face to face with Nigeria. We cannot forget like Nigeria did not lose against an African team since 2015. And they really have to play basketball and they really have to play hard to, to win today," he said.
The FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament will decide Olympic quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The U.S. already secured a quota by winning the 2022 FIBA World Cup, so there are two spots available. Nigeria will face the U.S on Friday (9 February) while Senegal will play Belgium.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.