[Nagoya AG] Women's Basketball Ends Six-Game Losing Streak to China, Seven-Game Skid to Japan to Claim First Gold in 12 Years

75-70 Victory Over Japan in the Final on the 26th
Lee Haeran Scores 24 Points, Kang Iseul Adds 21

Following the men's basketball team, the South Korean women's national basketball team also captured the Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 12 years.

On September 26, at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, the South Korean women's national basketball team, led by head coach Park Suho, defeated Japan 75-70 in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to win the championship.

This marks the women's team's fifth overall Asian Games gold medal, and their first in 12 years since the 2014 Incheon Games. It is also the first time in 32 years that South Korea has won gold in women's basketball at an Asian Games held outside of Korea, the last being at the 1994 Hiroshima Games.

Lee Haeran led the team with 24 points and 9 rebounds, while Kang Iseul contributed 21 points and 7 rebounds, including three three-point shots. Lee Sohee also added 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. An Hyeji chipped in with 4 points and 7 assists.

The South Korean women's basketball team players are taking a commemorative photo after winning the gold medal at the women's basketball awards ceremony held on the 26th at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Photo by Yonhap News.

South Korea initially conceded a three-pointer to Miyu Okamoto within 20 seconds of tip-off, but Lee Haeran and Lee Sohee spearheaded a scoring run with 15 unanswered points, seizing control early on. The team continued to widen the lead, finishing the first half up 42-23—a commanding 19-point advantage.

In the third quarter, Kang Iseul poured in 12 points, including two three-pointers. By the end of the third quarter, South Korea was ahead 63-51, seemingly in command.

However, Japan mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth quarter. With 6 minutes and 27 seconds remaining, South Korea’s lead had narrowed to 66-62, just a 4-point gap. Consecutive baskets by Lee Sohee and Kang Iseul provided some breathing room, but with just 58.4 seconds left, Japan closed the gap again to 72-68. With 15 seconds to go, Haru Owaki scored on a put-back after an offensive rebound, cutting the lead to just 2 points at 72-70.

But on the ensuing possession, Kang Iseul made both free throws after being fouled, extending the lead, and immediately blocked Haru Owaki’s attempt under the basket, effectively sealing the win. Lee Haeran added a late free throw to secure the victory.

With this win, South Korea also snapped a 7-game losing streak against Japan that had persisted since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games semifinals. The team had lost both friendly matches against Japan held in Tokyo last month. However, there was a notable difference in the rosters between those matches and the squads fielded for these Asian Games.

Leading up to these Games, with the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup taking place in Germany, Japan split its national team. The World Cup squad, coached by Cory Gaines, was composed mainly of veteran core players, while the Asian Games team, guided by Yuko Oga, was largely built around younger players with an average age of about 24.

South Korea's women's basketball national team players cheer after securing the gold medal for the first time in 12 years by winning 75-70 against Japan in the women's basketball match at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan on the 26th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

For South Korea, the players participating in the World Cup immediately turned around to compete in the Asian Games. However, core players Park Ji-su and Park Ji-hyun were absent due to injury and commitments with their respective WNBA teams in the United States, so South Korea competed with a roster of 11 players at this tournament.

Ultimately, both South Korea and Japan failed to reach the quarterfinals at the World Cup, but in the Asian Games, South Korea emerged victorious over Japan to claim the gold medal.

In the group stage, South Korea cruised to the quarterfinals with three straight wins over Malaysia, Mongolia, and Taiwan. The team then overwhelmed Indonesia 101-59 in the quarterfinals, showcasing a potent offense. Overcoming 220cm-tall center Zhang Ziyi, they also broke a six-game losing streak to China with an 85-80 win in the semifinal on the 25th, the tournament’s greatest hurdle. Finally, by breaking Japan’s seven-game winning streak in the final, South Korea reclaimed the top spot in Asia for the first time in 12 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.