History was made in the Olympic women's basketball tournament on Sunday, one that will reverberate around a continent for years to come. With a 79-70 win over Canada at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the Nigeria women's basketball team emphatically punched its ticket to the quarterfinals — becoming the first African team, men's or women's, to reach the knockout stage of the Olympics.
The numbers are staggering. No African men's team has ever reached the round of eight. Entering Paris, women's teams had a total record of 1-37 in Olympic competition.
I hope young girls are watching this. I wanted to be the first but I don't want to be the last.
But D'Tigress doubled that total in one week of these Games, and they did it with a style and a swagger that belied their lack of previous international success.
"It's surreal and I don't think it's going to hit me yet for another couple of hours," head coach Rene Wakama said. "I am proud of my girls, and I have pushed them so hard. I have pushed them harder than anyone can even imagine. It's because I know what they can do and we did that today and we showed them who we are."
It's been obvious to anyone who's watched Nigeria play over this group stage that this team is no fluke, physically overwhelming Australia in its opener before hanging tough with France to put the whole world on notice. In many ways, its win over Canada on Sunday was this team's style in microcosm: Nigeria trailed by four at the half but used an 11-0 run early in the third quarter to pull ahead for good, using swarming full-court defense to trigger offense on the other end. (Nigeria has tallied 40 steals over three games, five more than the next closest team.)
It's a style that stems from the dynamite backcourt duo of Ezinne Kalu and Amy Okonkwo, the tip of the spear defensively and fearless either driving into the lane and pulling up from 3.
It's also one that stems from Wakama: big, brash, uncompromising and unwilling to be told that it doesn't belong.
"I have always been a fighter growing up," Wakama said. "You tell me I can't do something and I am going to tell you that I can."
Plenty of people will once again be telling Nigeria it can't make a serious run at a medal, that more traditional powers like the U.S. will be too tough. If the past week is any indication, however, count this team out at your own risk.