ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - There will be twelve teams in Abidjan for the 2025 FIBA Women's AfroBasket, and they have now decided on their strategies to try and win the title.
Teams spent weeks training across the continent and elsewhere to decide who would be on their rosters. What does that mean for the next six days of games in Abidjan? It means, that’s battle time.
The 12-nation tournament will take place from July 26 to August 3 in Abidjan, the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire. That means it's time for a battle.
Here is the 2025 Women's AfroBasket Power Rankings, Vol. 2.
1. Nigeria (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 11th
The current champions may not have had the training camp in Abuja that they had planned, but the core of the team - the players who have dominated the continent in recent years - is coming together. This keeps the D'Tigresses team a threat to anyone who wants to take the African title from them.
2. Mali (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 24th
What could be possibly go wrong with Mali? A nest of some talented players, Mali selected some of their players to try and fight for their first continental title since 2007. The addition of Washington Mystics forward Sika Kone, along with Maimouna Haidara and Djeneba N'Diaye, makes this Mali team a formidable opponent. They beat Senegal (77-69) and Cote d’Ivoire (70-52) in warm-up games.
3. Senegal (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 27th
Two main reasons make this Senegal a real contender for the title: One, the signing of Otis Hughley, a smart basketball coach who led Nigeria to win the 2021 and 2023 Women's AfroBasket titles. Two, the pressure of not winning an African title for ten years. But more importantly, Senegal has many good players who are competitive.
4. Mozambique (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 32nd
Mozambique may not have the services of center Tamara Ceda, but the duo of Leia Dongue and Ingvild Mucauro - two players with respectable achievements on the continent - give Mozambique another level of play. Head coach Nasir Sale has a long and successful history in African basketball.
5. Uganda (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 52nd
If there’s a team eager to rewrite the narrative of East African teams in the competition, this team is Uganda as their recent success in the region has proven. Young, ambitious and highly competitive, the Gazzelles, as they are colloquially known, arrive in Abidjan with Jane Asinde and Paige Robinson playing at their best.
6. Cameroon (+5)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 44th
If Cameroon's recent 69-61 win over Rwanda during a warm-up game is any sign, and if Jessica Thomas, Dulcy Fankam and rising stars Kelya Kipo and Damaris Ermedie are all healthy and available for the Abidjan 2025 competition, then this Cameroonian team can cause some serious damage in the competition.
7. Cote d’Ivoire (+1)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 53rd
What else can Ivorian fans expect from their heroes other than a top-three finish? Historically, Cote d'Ivoire tends to excel when playing in front of some of Africa's rowdiest fans. The addition of Kariata Diaby, who last played for the country in 2017, has home fans dreaming.
8. Angola (-1)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 46th
A two-week training camp in Spain helped the team fine tune their game strategies. The former African champions arrived in Abidjan with a completely new team, which included up-and-coming players Sara Caetano, Ana Servico, and Alexia Dizeko. Is it good enough to stand out in the competition? Maybe. The team's three wins (one of which was against the Argentina U18 team) in five warm-up games don't show much about how good the team really is.
9. South Sudan (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 86th
At this point, there are more questions than answers about how the Bright Starlets have improved since their appearance in the Zone 5 qualifiers in Cairo, Egypt, earlier this year. However, the team also signed coach Alberto Antuna, who most recently coached Senegal and led Uganda to a seventh-place finish at the 2023 Women's AfroBasket. This shows that South Sudan wants to make some noise in the competition. The South Sudanese team is playing in the competition for the first time.
10. Egypt (-4)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 37th
Egypt has registered the biggest fall in this Power Ranking for two main reasons: two of their most talented players are out: Nadine Mohamed suffered an injury during the 2025 Arab Championship early this month, and Jana Elalfy, who won the 2025 NCAA Women's National Championship with the Connecticut Huskies. We still don't know how the new coach, Julian Martinez, will make things work for Egypt in Abidjan.
11. Rwanda (-1)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 86th
Keisha Hampton, a former WNBA player, and Bella Murekatete, a rising star, both did great things for Rwanda during the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament last year in Kigali. However, Rwandans are still worried about Ineza Sifa, who hurt herself at the last minute and has been ruled out for the competition in Abidjan.
12. Guinea (-)
FIBA Women’s World Ranking presented by Nike: 91st
Coached by former Guinean international Malick Kone, Guinea has a good list of players for the tournament in Abidjan, but their biggest challenge is showing that being last in the FIBA Rankings among the 12 teams is a mistake.
DISCLAIMER: The Power Rankings are completely subjective and in no way represent an official or precise ranking system. All comments reflect the author’s opinions.