Minnesota Lynx to Face Nigeria Women’s National Team in Historic WNBA Preseason Game
Lynx to Make History as First WNBA Team to Face African National Side Ahead of 2026 Season
The Minnesota Lynx will make history when they face the Nigeria Women’s National Team in a WNBA preseason friendly at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Monday, 27 April, becoming the first WNBA franchise to play an African national team. The game is part of the Lynx’s three-game preseason schedule, which also includes matchups against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, 25 April, and the Toronto Tempo on Friday, 1 May, according to the team’s official announcement.
“The matchup against the Nigeria Women’s National Team adds a compelling international element to the exhibition schedule,” the Lynx said in a statement.
Nigeria enters the game as the reigning AfroBasket champions, having claimed five consecutive continental titles, according to ESPN. Known as D’Tigress, the squad has previously faced Team USA in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, holding the Americans to an 88–74 quarterfinal win—the narrowest margin in that stage of the tournament.
Several Nigerian players have WNBA experience. Forward Amy Okonkwo played for the Dallas Wings last season after spending time with the Connecticut Sun, guard Murjanatu Musa attended training camp with the Sun, and Ezinne Kalu had a stint with the Atlanta Dream. The team is coached by Rena Wakama, who also serves on the Chicago Sky coaching staff and works in the Unrivalled league.
Preseason exhibitions against national teams have grown in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky both played and defeated the Brazil Women’s National Team in the 2025 preseason, making Minnesota only the third WNBA team to face an international squad, ESPN reported.
The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) is currently navigating an internal leadership dispute, but outgoing president Musa Kida continues to lead the organisation and sanctioned the scrimmage. The federation’s decision allows D’Tigress to maintain international competition despite administrative challenges.
The Lynx’s preseason games take place ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, which depends on the successful negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and players union. The WNBA set a 10 March deadline for the CBA agreement to avoid delays in the upcoming season, according to WNBA communications.
Fans and analysts will watch the 27 April game closely, as it offers the first opportunity for a WNBA franchise to compete against an African national team while providing both squads an early-season challenge against top-level international talent.
