The South Korean women’s national basketball team captured the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by defeating Japan 75-70 in the final on September 26 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan. The victory marks South Korea’s first Asian Games title in 12 years, ending a drought that stretched back to the 2014 Incheon Games.
A Breakthrough Title Without WNBA Stars
South Korea claimed the championship under unexpected circumstances, playing through the tournament without two of their primary international stars. WNBA player Park Ji-hyun of the Los Angeles Sparks missed the tournament due to her club commitments, while center Park Ji-su of Cheongju KB Stars was sidelined while recovering from an injury.
Despite missing the frontcourt and backcourt anchors, the team advanced through the preliminary rounds with ease. South Korea defeated Malaysia 106-40, Mongolia 88-61, Taiwan 73-59, and Indonesia 101-59 to advance smoothly to the knockout stage.
Overcoming China’s Great Wall and Ending Japan’s Streak
In the semifinals, South Korea faced a formidable test against China, anchored by 2-meter-23-centimeter center Zhang Ziyu. The squad utilized a disciplined, double- and triple-teaming defense to counter China’s overwhelming height advantage. Late-game shooting efficiency carried South Korea to an 85-80 victory, setting up a gold medal showdown against Japan.
South Korea had dropped their previous seven matches against Japan, including two friendly losses in Tokyo last August. Breaking that skid in Nagoya handed the program its long-awaited regional crown.
Emergence of a New Generation
The tournament served as a showcase for South Korea’s younger talent. Point guard Lee Ye-eun, born in 2001, asserted herself as a national team floor general with steady play throughout the event. Lee So-hee led the offense with sharp perimeter shooting, stepping into the sniper role historically anchored by team captain Kang Lee-seul. Forward Lee Hae-ran provided two-way production, scoring 22 points with six rebounds against China and following up with 24 points and nine rebounds against Japan. Forward Hong Yu-sun also contributed valuable minutes in the paint.
Captain Kang Lee-seul praised the younger roster members for filling the void left by absent veterans. “I didn’t think one or two players could fill the void left by Park Ji-su and Park Ji-hyun,” Kang said. “Every player stepped on the court with the pride and responsibility of representing their country, but it was especially significant that the younger players stepped up with confidence and did their jobs. Lee Hae-ran and Lee So-hee played so well. I want to say thank you to all the players.”
Looking Ahead to Full Strength
Head coach Park Soo-ho cautioned against overstating the current roster’s status while acknowledging the magnitude of the achievement. “It is still too early to call the current women’s team a ‘golden generation’,” Park said. “This is a valuable achievement carved out by the players here who performed so well despite difficult circumstances. South Korean women’s basketball still has many shortcomings, but seeing the national team players win and take home the gold medal will serve as a great stimulus for younger players.”
With a battle-tested young core now holding tournament gold, the potential return of Park Ji-su and Park Ji-hyun in future international windows offers deeper optimism for the program’s trajectory.
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