African champions, D’Tigress of Nigeria, have climbed three spots to 8th in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings.

With 640.1 points, the reigning African queens leapfrogged Brazil and Serbia after a string of impressive performances, becoming the only African side in the global top 10.

Their surge up the rankings comes off the back of a historic run at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they stunned basketball powerhouses Australia and Canada to reach the quarter-finals, the first African team ever to achieve that feat. Since then, D’Tigress have maintained momentum with dominant displays in the AfroBasket and other international competitions, reaching their highest-ever ranking.

At the top of the global standings, the United States remains No. 1, followed by Australia, France, China, and Belgium.

Across Africa, Mali made the biggest jump, climbing six places to 18th in the world, while Senegal sits 25th. Other African nations in the top 50 include Mozambique (32nd), Cameroon (35th), and Egypt (43rd).

This latest ranking marks another milestone in D’Tigress’ rapid rise, underlining that African basketball can compete with the global elite. Following their strong showing at the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket, they have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup but will still feature in the African qualifiers alongside Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan.