Nigeria's women basketball team overcome adversity to shine at Olympics

Nigeria’s historic run in the women’s basketball tournament at Paris 2024 has been underlined by defensive steel, as well as a sprinkling of inspiration from their young coach.

The team known as D’Tigress became the first African side - male or female - to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic Games after beating Canada in their final group game on Sunday.

The West Africans registered a win on their Olympic debut in Athens in 2004 but had to wait 20 years for their second victory.

The challenge now is to build on their progress.

“I'm really proud of them putting Nigeria on the map again after 20 years,” Mfon Udoka, a member of the 2004 squad, told BBC Sport Africa.

“I'm just hoping in the near future that it doesn't take another 20 years to see the same success.”

However, the squad has had to show plenty of resilience off the court to get to this stage.