Can Nigeria reclaim top spot at FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017?

LAGOS (FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2017) - In the lead-up to the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017, we take a closer look at all 12 participating teams competing in the championship running from August 18-27 in Bamako, Mali.

Team: Nigeria
Nike FIBA World Ranking: 42nd
Last participation at FIBA Women’s AfroBasket: 2015 (6 wins, 2 losses; 3rd place)
Best results in the history of FIBA Women's AfroBasket: African champions in 2003 and 2005
Qualified for FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2017: Automatic qualification by virtue of finishing in third place win at the AfroBasket 2015 in Cameroon.

History/Qualification: D’ Tigress as the Nigeria women’s national team is fondly called has a rich history.

Long before the men’s national team dreamt of playing at the Olympics, the women had done so. They competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics basketball tournament in Athens, Greece. This was courtesy of their emergence as continental champions in which they defeated host Mozambique in the Final.

Nigeria played in Group A along with Australia, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and Russia. The team went 0–5 in the preliminary round. In the 11/12th place game, they defeated Korea for a final finish of 11th out of 12 teams. With the win, they became the first women's African basketball team to win a game at the Olympics.

Mfon Udoka was the team's leading scorer and the tournament's second highest scorer.

Nigeria qualified for the 2006 FIBA World Championship by winning the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women held in their country. In Brazil, they were placed into Group C with China, Russia, and the United States. Nigeria did not qualify for a pass into the second round and were defeated in the 15th-16th place game by fellow African representatives Senegal by a score of 66–64. Their tournament record was 0–5.

Key Player: Adaora Nnenna Elonu, is a Nigerian-American women's basketball forward who was instrumental to Nigeria’s third place finish at the FIBA AfroBasket 2015 in Cameroon and was selected one of the best top five players of the championship.

Rising Star: Both Evelyn Akhator and Upe Atosu look determined to make their presences felt within the team. While the former has been selected by the Dallas Wings as the number three in last March WNBA Draft, the latter has been key to Nigerian champions First Bank Basketball.

Outlook: A combination of experience and youth gives one the impression that they can post a surprise performance in Mali. With the return of coach Sam Vincent and former Nigeria women national team captain Mfom Udoka as team manager, the players have a lot to look up in terms of experience from the side lines. Though the camping is short and with no really big team friendly international games before heading to Mali, there is the tendency that the team might be ill prepared.

Possible outcome: Nigeria are looking to better their 2015 performance by reaching the Final. It will be no surprise given the determination of the players during the training camps in Orlando, Florida, USA and in Lagos, Nigeria. However, the level of opposition they get from Group A opponents Senegal, Egypt, Guinea, Mozambique and DR Congo will determine a lot.

FIBA