President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida has disclosed the strategy that contributed to D’Tigress’ impressive performance at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Nigerian women’s basketball team made history by advancing to the quarter-finals, a first for any African team in the history of the Olympics.

D’Tigress secured notable victories over heavyweights Australia and Canada during the group stage, showcasing their resilience and skill. However, their journey ended in the quarter-finals after a loss to the defending champions, the United States of America.

Kida attributed the team’s success to a critical decision by the NBBF leadership, to prevent board members from imposing players on the head coach, Rena Wakama.

This approach ensured that team selection was based purely on merit and the strategic vision of the coach and technical crew.

“The responsibility is that we have tried to isolate other board members from influencing,” Kida explained in an interview with NTA.

“Board members can suggest, they can bring in names just like anybody else, but the ultimate selection of the team is in the hands of the coach and the technical crew.”

This autonomy allowed the coaching staff to assemble a team that could compete at the highest level, leading to D’Tigress’ historic achievement at the 2024 Olympics.