Nigeria's D'Tigress made history this weekend when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the women's basketball tournament at the Olympics in Paris, setting up a showdown with top seeds Team USA.
They defeated Canda 79-70 to seal their spot in the quarterfinals, making it the first time an African team reached the quarterfinal stage of the Olympic basketball event. But that is not the only mark D'Tigress hit.
Ezinne Kalu went off for 21 points, becoming the first Nigerian player to score 20+ points since Mfon Udoka, who scored 26 and 28 against Australia and Greece respectively at the 2004 Games.
After their opening day victory against Australia, which made history in its own way, the Nigerians fell to hosts France, leaving coach Rema Wakama unhappy about the performance.
Forward Amy Okonkwo says the team decided to fight: "I am so proud of us. The last game wasn't good for us and even in the first half [against Canada], we were not doing what we wanted to come out and do.
"We had a talk with ourselves and realised it was win or go home and we decided we wanted to stay."
For Wakama, that defeat was something of a blessing in disguise, as it helped them reset back to default.
She told ESPN: "I am glad we did have that loss because we were able to get back to what we do best. Also there's no pressure now on us and we have shown everyone that we deserve to be playing here.
"When we are focused on something and when we all come together, we are powerful. Our whole team, support staff, and coaches, we have the same mindset - a winning mindset."
She added of the Canada win: "I am proud of my girls and I have pushed them so hard. I have pushed them harder than anyone can even imagine. It's because I know what they can do and we did that and we showed them who we are."
African women's teams have previously only won one game in 37 previous Olympic appearances, so D'Tigress have now doubled that in three games, and could well have been three for three if they had stayed composed against France.
"It's an incredible day for our team, our country and the continent," D'Tigress legend Udoka told ESPN.
"They just showed that the toughness and perseverance of Nigerians is always evident and it's just been really wonderful to watch, in all three games."
Nigerian celebrations were tempered somewhat when their reward for beating the No 3 and No 5 seed was a date with the No 1 seeded USA on August 7. The Americans went 3 for 3 in the group stage and are on a 58-game winning streak.
Both sides last met during the Olympic qualifying tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, where the USA handed down a 100-46 harsh lesson to the Nigerians.
But the players aren't thinking about the ill luck that has pitted them against the one team nobody wanted to face.
Kalu said: "The little village has been great, but it's only basketball there. So to go to Paris and see other athletes competing in their sports and just be around the great energy of so many different countries, and to be the only African team there for basketball competing, it just really means a lot to us.
"And it's something that we're not going to take for granted."
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