ABIDJAN (Côte d'Ivoire) - The first order of business - securing spots in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, which will take place in March of next year - is complete. Now, it's down to the chase for championship glory for the Last Four.
On Saturday, August 2, defending champions Nigeria, 11-time champions and reigning silver medalists Senegal, and bronze medalists Mali will battle South Sudan, the debutants, for a place in the final, all chasing history.
How will the four do?
Senegal vs. Nigeria (19:00 GMT)
Dubbed the "final before the final," the rivalry between the two teams dates back years. Records show that the two teams have faced off 14 times, with Nigeria's D'Tigresses emerging victorious nine times.
Senegal's last victory over Nigeria was a 26-point ()89-63 semifinal win at the 2011 Women's AfroBasket in Mali. In the same tournament, Senegal also beat Nigeria, 86-62, in the Group Phase. Since then, Nigeria's D'Tigresses have dominated.
In Abidjan, Rena Wakama's team is chasing history as they look to become the only side to win five titles in a row. Meanwhile, Senegal is hunting a record-extending 12th title and is eager to end a 10-year wait for it.
Their last matchup was at the 2024 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium last year, with Nigeria prevailing 72–65. They also faced off in the 2023 Women's AfroBasket final, with Nigeria picking up their fourth consecutive title with an 84–74 victory.
In 2021, the two teams met in the semifinals of the African competition. Senegal went on to finish fourth, while Nigeria competed against Mali for the title.
At the ongoing 2025 Women's AfroBasket tournament, Senegal, who finished second in Group C, struggled to reach the semifinals. Nigeria, on the other hand, advanced easily by winning all three of their games.
Senegal had to play in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals and nearly missed the final four after being pushed to the limit by the host team, Côte d'Ivoire. Senegal eventually prevailed with a score of 66–60.
This will be a close game, with Nigeria carrying a slight scoring advantage, averaging 78.3 points per game compared to Senegal's 77.
Senegal grabbed 48.3 rebounds per game, compared to Nigeria's 44.3.
In terms of assists, the two teams are relatively equal with 19.3 for Senegal and 18.7 for Nigeria.
How efficient are both teams at scoring? Nigeria averaged 44.7% on field goals, compared to Senegal's 39%.
Shooting from deep? Nigeria shot 26%, while Senegal shot 20.7%.
Both teams have talented squads capable of winning, but Senegal's starters need to step up their game after slacking in previous matches.
South Sudan vs. Mali (22:00 GMT)
It's been almost a week since their first meeting in Group B, and Mali and South Sudan are at it again. This time, however, the circumstances are highly significant.
If their Group Phase 55-53 showdown is any indication, a second meeting in the same competition for these two sides promises to be a thriller.
The Bright Starlets of South Sudan, a team of up-and-coming stars, have continued to impress in this competition. They came back from two preliminary losses to stun Egypt (75-65) and Uganda (69-68), reaching the Last Four on their debut.
Before Abidjan, the Alberto Antuna-coached team had not won against their Zone rivals, so based on that fact alone, Mali should be afraid.
However, the West Africans have played like a championship team since their scare in the opener against South Sudan.
They defeated the 2021 bronze medalists, Cameroon, 75–49, to advance to the quarterfinals undefeated. Then, they saw off Mozambique, 86–68, to reach the semifinals.
Mali has shared the ball better in their three games, averaging 21.7 assists per game, compared to South Sudan's 12.
The Malians have a higher field-goal percentage, 41.3%, compared to South Sudan's 38.3%.
Mali averaged 72 points per game, seven more than South Sudan.
South Sudan's exceptional dominance lies in the rebounding category, where they lead all teams with 51 boards per game, compared to Mali's 46.7.
Mali will be led by WNBA star Sika Koné, who has a 17 efficiency rating, while South Sudan will rely on Maria Teresa Gakdeng, who leads the team with an efficiency rating of 18.8.
Can South Sudan continue their fairy-tale debut and reach the championship match, or will Mali make it to their first final since 2021?
FIBA