ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Although there are still 16 games remaining in the 2025 Women's AfroBasket, the first 12 matchups provided intriguing results that suggest this could be one of the most competitive tournaments in years.
In this article, we highlight what we learned from the first twelve games.
First Game to go into overtime
The Group C matchup between Senegal and Uganda has always been described as one of the most anticipated games in the tournament, and it lived up to expectations.
The Ugandan Gazelles needed five extra minutes to secure their victory over Senegal, winning 73-70.
This was the first Women's AfroBasket game to go into overtime since Angola's 74-68 victory over Rwanda in Kigali in 2023.
New site, new event, similar result on the same date.
In the span of two years, Uganda shocked Senegal twice in nearly identical circumstances.
On July 28, 2025, Uganda upset Senegal in overtime. Two years earlier, on July 29, 2023, Uganda had also upset Senegal in a highly contested game, winning 85-83. Both games were decided by a narrow margin.
Coach Hughley Jr. no longer undefeated in Africa
Coach Otis Hughley Jr. led Nigeria to two consecutive Women's AfroBasket titles in 2021 and 2023, achieving a perfect 10-0 record.
However, his remarkable streak has come to an end.
On Monday, July 28, Uganda beat Senegal 73-70, ending Hughley Jr.'s perfect record in women's African basketball.
Sold-out Palais des Sports
Ivorians are known for their passion for basketball. As was the case 12 years ago when the country hosted the 2013 AfroBasket, with a high turnout of fans, Ivorian fans sold out the Palais des Sports on Monday, July 28, to watch their heroes defeat Angola 82–74 and advance to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Women's AfroBasket.
According to the organization, 3,332 fans filled all the seats in the iconic gymnasium in the Treichville neighborhood of Abidjan.
Second chance or end of the road for four teams?
After 12 games, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Uganda advanced to the quarterfinals with a perfect record of 4-0.
The remaining eight teams have a second chance in Wednesday's Classification Round to advance to the quarterfinals.
Of the eight teams competing for the last four spots, four — Angola, Guinea, Rwanda, and South Sudan — remain winless after two games. Will their journey end or resume on Wednesday, July 30?
Highest scoring teams
Although Senegal missed out on direct qualification for the quarterfinals, Nigeria progressed.
Both Nigeria and Senegal, the 2023 Women's AfroBasket finalists, have scored the most points in a single game, with Nigeria defeating Rwanda 92–45 and Senegal overwhelming Guinea 92–56.
Not the end of the world for Senegal, numbers show
Senegal just need to improve their defensive game and they could be fine as their stats show.
They not only demolished Guinea 92-56, but they also demonstrated a tremendous ability of rebounding, finishing with a tournament-high 53 boards, In the same game they also set a tournament record with 27 assists.
D'Tigress are moving from strength to strength
Reigning champions Nigeria are chasing a record fifth consecutive Women's AfroBasket title.
Although they were put to the test against Mozambique, but their dominance in the tournament continued with a 60-55 triumph.
This victory marked Nigeria's 26th consecutive win in the tournament, dating back to 2015.
Room for improvement for Guinea?
Guinea set a tournament record for the most sloppy plays, turning the ball over 39 times in an 88-51 loss to Uganda.
Making it rain at a fast rate
Time and again, Uganda found themselves on the ropes against Senegal, but they turned their disadvantage of being undersized into an advantage by shooting from deep at an incredible rate.
They scored the most three-pointers (nine) in a single game and claimed the 73-70 victory.
A day to remember for Akullu
Melissa Ukullu of Uganda had a performance to remember. She set a Women's AfroBasket record for 2025 with 26 points in an 88-51 win over Guinea.
Most assists in a game so far
Molly Kaiser had 11 assists, helping Côte d'Ivoire defeat Angola 82-74. She completed her double-double performance with 21 points.
Media Coverage
Although an official announcement has not been made, a significant number of media organizations from various parts of the continent are covering the tournament.
FIBA