On Monday, history was made when Nigeria women’s basketball beat Australia 75-62, giving the team its first Olympic victory since 2004.
“It feels so good. It’s been a tough couple of days,” said Nigeria’s Amy Okonwo, who scored 13 points. “We’ve stuck together and this is what it’s about. Like, you overcome adversity and you fight until the finish and you come out with the win.”
Early morning shout out to Nigeria women's basketball, which upset Australia 75-62 in the team's opening game at the Paris Olympics.
— First and Pen (@firstandpen) July 29, 2024
It's the team's first Olympic victory since 2004. 🇳🇬🏀✊🏾 #Olympics #Basketball #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/I8NvbZGRy2
This win comes at a perfect time for Nigeria.
The last time the team was on a big stage was in the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup. The country went winless in the 2020 Games in Tokyo and then was embroiled in an internal struggle between the basketball federation and the government, which caused them to miss the World Cup in 2022.
But Monday’s victory helped relieve some of the pain of the past four years.
“It’s a wave of emotions. I’m so proud and excited for this group,” said Nigeria coach Rena Wakama. “I have young girls who are hungry and ready to shock the world. I’m glad we were able to do that today.”
Nigeria came to Paris as the second lowest-ranked FIBA team of the 12 teams in the tournament; their Australian opponents were third overall. The Australians also had players and a coach with WNBA experience, while Nigeria did not have any WNBA talent on the team at all.
It was viewed as a classic David vs Goliath matchup, with very few expecting Nigeria to give Australia much of a game.
But the game is played on the court, not on paper.
