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The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Australia's Opals survive late Japan comeback to end eight-year title drought
Australia's Opals survived a late comeback by Japan to win the Women's Asia Cup for the first time on Sunday. With a breakthrough Asia Cup title now under their belt, the Opals can turn their attention to next year's Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany full of confidence. At the fifth time of asking since their debut at the tournament in 2017, a new-look squad finally stood atop the podium on Sunday night in China after an 88-79 win over Japan. After topping Group A with three wins and then beating South Korea in the semi-finals, the undefeated Australians proved too strong for the second time in a matter of days against Japan at Shenzhen Sports Centre. The Opals, which previously defeated their Japanese rivals 79-67 in the group stages, led from the start and built an 11-point lead by half-time in the decider. But six-time Asian champions Japan rallied in the final quarter – with power forward Yuki Miyazawa at one stage netting three unanswered 3-pointers in a row – to level the scores with seven minutes on the clock. A pair of missed free throws by Japan and crucial baskets from Australian stars Alexandra Fowler and Alex Brooke Wilson helped the Opals edge away as time ticked away for an increasingly desperate Japanese side. The 88-79 victory over the world No 9 Japanese, shock winners over hosts China in their semi, finally clinched the gold medal after a 2017 silver and bronze in the next three editions. 'Really happy and proud of the team for their efforts this whole week,' Opals coach Paul Goriss said. 'We knew coming in that Japan had a huge win ... against China and that they're going to be a formidable opponent. 'I think that our team and the players really bought into the game plan.' Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion Alex Wilson provided the spark for the world's second-ranked Opals, the 31-year-old spearheading a decisive late fourth-quarter 12-2 run for an 85-75 advantage. One day before her 24th birthday, Townsville Fire forward Alex Fowler top-scored for Australia with 15 points, pulled down six rebounds and went on to earn the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Point guard Stephanie Reid added 13 points in the championship match while centre Zitina Aukoso went close to a double-double with 11 points and eight boards. Superstar guard Kokoro Tanaka led Japan with 21 points, 19 of which came in the opening term. The Opals join hosts Germany, AmeriCup winners the USA and EuroBasket champions Belgium as automatic qualifiers for the expanded 16-team September 2026 World Cup in Berlin, after a 24-team qualifying tournament takes place in March.
ABC News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia wins Asia Cup for the first time as Opals beat Japan 88-79 in final
Australia's women's basketball team has won the Asia Cup for the first time, beating defending champions Japan 88 points to 79 in the final. The Opals led at every break of the gold medal match in Shenzen, China, going on to clinch the win, which also qualifies Australia for next year's World Cup in Germany. Australia finished undefeated in five games — the Opals defeated Korea 86-73 in the semifinal on Saturday. China beat Korea 101-66 in the bronze medal game. Australia led by 9 points at quarter-time, and 11 at the half, before the Japanese team fought back to bring the lead back to 8 points at the final change. But despite levelling the scores twice in the final quarter, Japan could not hit the front as Australia went one further than the team's previous best result of silver in 2017. Coach Paul Goriss praised his team for their performance against a formidable opponent in the six-time champions Japan. "Our pace, our execution I think was one of our better games of the tournament defensively, and you could just see by everybody coming and contributing," he said. "So [I'm] really happy and proud of the team for their efforts for this whole week." Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ The Opals spread the scoring load, with Fowler top-scoring with 15, followed by Alex Wilson with 14 and Stephanie Reid with 13. The Japanese team was led by 21 points from Kokoro Tanaka, and 18 points from Yuki Miyazawa. Courtney Woods and Cayla George each had five steals, and Wilson also had six rebounds, earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player honours as she finished the Asia Cup finals with averages of 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds. Wilson and Reid were included in the All-Star Five, along with Japan's Tanaka, Korea's Park Ji Hyun and China's Han Xu. "It's so fun to be out on the stage and in front of a crowd wearing the Australian jersey," Alex Fowler said after the final. "I think we had an amazing group of girls come together and I couldn't be more prouder of the group and the coaching staff it's been so much fun this whole tournament." Australia had another podium finish in the FIBA Women's Under-19 World Cup in Czechia, where the Gems took silver, losing 88-76 in the final to the United States team which clinched a fourth straight title.
News18
20-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
History Made! Australia Fends Off Japan To Clinch First FIBA Women's Asia Cup Title
Japan, six-time champions of the continental tournament, mounted a determined comeback in the fourth quarter. Power forward Yuki Miyazawa spearheaded the rally, knocking down three consecutive three-pointers to tie the game with seven minutes remaining. However, missed opportunities—including two missed free throws—proved costly for Japan. Clutch baskets from Australia's Alexandra Fowler and Alex Brooke Wilson helped the Opals regain control as time slipped away for their opponents. Historic Triumph for the Opals Ranked second in the world by FIBA, Australia erupted in celebration at the final buzzer, finally putting an end to their Asia Cup title drought. Fowler, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, led her team with 15 points. Wilson added 14 points, while point guard Stephanie Reid contributed 13 in the championship win. Despite the loss, Japan's teenage phenom Kokoro Tanaka impressed once again. The 19-year-old, who scored 27 points in Japan's semi-final win over host nation China, finished the final with 21 points and nine assists, capping a breakout tournament. China Secures Bronze with Zhang's Dominance
