The South Korea women’s basketball national team suffered a 95-69 defeat against France during their second Group B match at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, held in Berlin, Germany, according to match reports. Head coach Park Soo-ho’s squad faced a steep challenge against the European powerhouse, which capitalized on a decisive height advantage to secure the win.
Early Promise Undone by France’s Size and Marine Johannes’ Scoring
Korea opened the tournament brightly with a victory over Nigeria, the highest-ranked African side holding the No. 8 spot in the FIBA world rankings. Building on that momentum, the Korean side jumped out to an early lead against France. Guard Kang I-seul of Woori Bank and guard Lee So-hee of BNK sparked the offense in the opening period, combining for a 31-24 advantage after the first quarter.
That momentum vanished in the second quarter. France, ranked second in the world behind the United States and coming off a silver medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, adjusted its defense and exploited its physical edge. French guard Marine Johannes spearheaded the turnaround, punishing the Korean defense with consistent perimeter scoring and transition baskets to erase the deficit before halftime.
Offensive Struggles and Roster Rotations
Trailing 43-37 at the break, Korea attempted to mount a comeback in the third quarter. Forward Choi Yi-sam of BNK hit a crucial 3-pointer to stabilize the offense, but France steadily widened the gap as the quarter progressed. Korea struggled to sustain consistent scoring output from key contributors who had excelled in the tournament opener against Nigeria.
Guard Park Ji-hyun, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, delivered 27 points in the first game but was limited to just two points in roughly 17 minutes on the floor against France. Kang I-seul contributed eight points over 13 minutes of action. Instead, guard Huh Ye-eun of KB and forward Lee Hae-ran of Samsung Life stepped up to share team-high scoring honors, netting 12 points apiece. For France, Johannes finished as the game’s top scorer with 17 points.
Group B Standings and the Road to the Quarterfinals
Following the result, France sits at the top of Group B with a 2-0 record. Korea holds a 1-1 record, placing them second in the group standings. Hungary stands at 1-1 in third place, while Nigeria rounds out the group at 0-2.
The 16-team tournament features four preliminary groups. Group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-place teams must navigate a qualification playoff round to determine the remaining spots in the knockout stage. Korea is seeking its first quarterfinal appearance at the World Cup since 2010.
Korea returns to the hardwood on Sept. 7 at 9:30 p.m. local time to face Hungary in its final preliminary group fixture.
