World Cup stars top Nigeria list for #AfroBasketWomen title defence
LAGOS (Nigeria) – Reigning AfroBasket champions, Nigeria are poised on making a back-to-back record by attempting to retain the title they won in 2017 in Bamako, Mali.
LAGOS (Nigeria) – Reigning FIBA Women's AfroBasket champions, Nigeria are poised on making a back-to-back record by attempting to retain the title they won in 2017 in Bamako, Mali.
Two years after that triumph , Nigeria will be heading to Senegal in flamboyant fettle having reached the quarter-finals at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 in Tenerife, Spain.
Ahead of the title defence, Nigeria coach Otis Hughley and the country's basketball fédération have release a 15-player preliminary squad including team captain Adaora Elonu, Jasmine Nwajei, Elo Edeferioka, and Promise Amukamara who made her international debut for Nigeria last year at the World Cup in Spain.
They are joined by newly invited University of Buffalo player; Theresa Onwuka, Aisha Balarabe, Sarah Imovhioh and Ezinne Kalu alongside Victoria Macaulay who last featured for Chicago Sky in the WNBA.
Otis has also drafted in New York Liberty power forward, Ifunaya Ibekwe while Italy based Kunaiyi Pallas Akpannah will be contending for a spot in the final roster alongside Atonye Nyingifa, Sarah Ogoke and Evelyn Akhator who were all part of the D’Tigress 2018 world cup expedition.
| Nigeria 15-Player Preliminary Squad for FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2019 | |||
| Evelyn Akhator | Promise Amukamara | Kunaiyi Pallas Akpanah | Aisha Balarabe |
| Elizabeth Balogun | Elo Edeferioka | Adaora Elonu | Ifunaya Ibekwe |
| Sarah Imovhioh | Ezinne Kalu | Victoria Macaulay | Jasmine Nwajei |
| Atonye Nyingifa | Sarah Ogoke | Theresa Onwuka | |
Elizabeth Balogun who recently transferred to Louisville from Georgia Tech completes the list of the 15 invited players.
The senior women’s National Basketball Team opens camp on Friday in Lagos as preparation commences for the 2019 @FIBA AFROBASKET championship in Dakar, Senegal between between 9th and 18th of August.
— #NBBF (@nbbfonline) July 25, 2019
Head Coach, Otis Hughley has invited 15 players#NBBF pic.twitter.com/1DR16sGlEB
The FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017 will be staged from the August 9- 18 at the newly-launched Dakar Arena in Senegal.
Twelve teams will compete in the Dakar showdown amongst them host Senegal, reigning champions Nigeria, Mali, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Angola, Egypt, Tunisia, Cape Verde as well as both Kenya and DR Congo, who qualified by virtue of wild card invitations.
The top six teams from this year's continental bonanza will compete at FIBA Africa's pre-qualifying tournament for the women's basketball competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
FIBA