YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - Nigeria beat Mali 70-59 in the Final of the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021 held in Yaounde, Cameroon on Sunday to retain the continental title for the third straight time.

Nigeria won the Women's AfroBasket in 2017 (Bamako, Mali), 2019 (Dakar, Senegal) and 2021 (Yaounde, Cameroon) to become the second African team to win three or more titles of the competition since Senegal clinched the trophy five times in a row from 1974 to 1984.

Nigeria's last defeat in the Women's AfroBasket happened on October 2, 2015 in the Semi-Final of the Women's AfroBasket against host Cameroon in Yaounde.

With the victory against Mali on Sunday, Nigeria extended their Women's AfroBasket winning streak to 19-0 after winning all their five games in the latest edition of the tournament. 

It was Nigeria's third straight win over Mali, having upset Mali in the Semi-Finals of the 2017 and 2019 Women's AfroBasket held in Mali and Senegal, respectively. 

In Yaounde, Nigeria won Group B, which included Angola and Mozambique, a victory that ensured the D'Tigress automatic qualification to the Quarter-Finals, where they beat Cote d'Ivoire. In the highly-anticipated Semi-Finals, Nigeria defeated eleven-time African champions Senegal before clinching their fifth Women's AfroBasket on Sunday against Mali. 

Meanwhile, finished the tournament with a 4-1 mark, including a huge upset in the Semi-Finals against host Cameroon.

In the Third-Place Game, Cameroon (4-1) beat Senegal, who finished outside of the podium of the Women's AfroBasket for the first time in decades.

Nigeria's Adaora Elonu was named the MVP of the Women's AfroBasket 2021. Elonu also headlined the All-Tournament team alongside her teammate Ezinne Kalu, Yacine Diop of Senegal, Mali's Mariam Coulibali and Marina Paule Ewodo of Cameroon.

Final Standings of FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021:

1. Nigeria (5-0)
2. Mali (4-1)
3. Cameroon (4-1)
4. Senegal (3-2)
5. Mozambique (3-3)
6. Egypt (3-3)
7. Cote d'Ivoire (3-3)
8. Angola (2-4)
9. Kenya (1-2)
10. Cape Verde (0-3)
11. Tunisia (0-3)
12. Guinea (0-3)

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