Australia maintained their mastery of China by coming away with the 78-59 victory to reach the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026-Division A Final.
The Gems got off to a 31-9 lead after the first 10 minutes, but needed to overcome a gritty stand by their rivals before finishing strongly en route to forging a title showdown with Japan today at the Karisma Arena in Seremban.
And by returning to the last dance for the third time in a row at the 16-time champions’ expense, the ‘three-peat’ seekers have also ended the latter’s decades-long streak of reaching the championship bout.
The last time that the young Team Dragon missed the Final was in 1990 in Nagoya, where they settled for a third-place finish in that particular edition ruled by Korea, who beat the host nation in the gold medal game.
So for the first time in 36 long years, there will be no China in the Final, as the battle for continental supremacy features proud programs that will be facing one another for only the third time in this competition.
“I think it will really be a good game,” said the Aussies’ head coach, Kristi Harrower. “Japan, they’re always up and about. They play hard, they play physical … we just gotta be able to handle their pressure.”
“And, make sure that we come out ready to play like we did today, which we will because it’s a gold medal game. Australia has won the last two Asia Cups so it’s important for us to make sure that we continue to try to do that.”
Isabel Smith led Team Australia with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Madison Ryan submitted 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Olivia Olechnowicz supplied 14 points and 5 assists plus 3 steals in the dominant win.
China, on the other hand, were led by He Siyao with 22 points and 5 rebounds in the crushing loss. Li Yuanshan made 16 points, while Zhao Zirui came just short of a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Runners-up to the Gems in the last two editions of the biennial contest, the charges of Coach Nan Chen will try to win bronze for some consolation when they take on Korea in the third-place game.
Japan return to Final after eight years
Japan booked their first trip to the final in nearly a decade by clobbering Korea anew, 80-43, in their semi-finals.
The one-time champions broke the game wide open as early in the second quarter and were in cruise control since en route to giving the program a chance to vie for the gold after bronze finishes in the last two editions.
Team Japan last made it to the Big Dance of this biennial competition in 2018 in Bengaluru, India, where they settled for a fifth straight runner-up finish behind China, who then completed a ‘five-peat’ for title No. 16.
Now, they will wait for the winner between Team Dragon and reigning two-time champions Australia in the other bracket later tonight for their foes in the Final tomorrow, Saturday, October 10, at 19:00 local time.
“We lost in the Semi-Finals of the U16 last year and we have three players from that team. That was one of the reasons why our players have been playing really well,” said head coach Yoshikazu Suzuki.
Four players finished in double figures in the win, with Marin Koike leading the way with 15 points and 5 steals. Riko Katsube supplied 13 points, with Moe Sakata supplying 12 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
Yuuka Mizuyabashi came close to a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds as a total of 10 players contributed at least 2 points in the victory that also extended their mastery of Korea in this tilt, 10-5.
Cho Heewon, on the other hand, was the lone bright spot for Korea with 14 points in the loss, which denied the program of advancing to the Final for the 10th consecutive time as the harrowing wait continued.
The seven-time champions last reached the Final in 2004 in Shenzhen, China, where they fell to the hosts and settled for a runner-up finish.
“The senior team had a great result recently, so this team will also try to do its best,” said Coach Lee Younghyun as Korea will play in the Third-Place Game tomorrow against the losing team between the Gems and China.
Chinese Taipei complete Asian ensemble
Chinese Taipei salvaged a 5th-place finish in the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026 following an 86-55 victory over the Philippines in the Classification 5-6 earlier in the day.
The East Asian side pulled off an 18-4 spurt to turn a slim lead to 28-13 just before the opening period ended to take control, then pulled away for good in the ensuing period to end their campaign with a bang.
But this win meant so much more than ensuring a triumphant finish, as it enabled the proud program to book a spot to the prestigious FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2027 to be held in China.
Chinese Taipei will be joining hosts China, Australia, Japan, and Korea – the only four teams that have won gold in the U18 Women’s Asia Cup – in the tilt scheduled to take place on July 17-25, 2027 in the city of Chengdu.
It will be the 17th edition of the biennial continental tournament, with these Asian teams hoping to make some noise in the event that has been lorded over by the mighty United States since 2019.
“We feel excited about next year. I played in China before so I’m also excited to go there,” expressed head coach Rosa Chien, who became the first player from Chinese Taipei to play in the WCBA back in 2002.
“We will learn from this tournament and do the adjustments for next year,” the legendary player turned bench tactician added.
Chen Jou-An led Chinese Taipei with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists. Chang Yu-Tung supplied 11 points, while Lin Nian-Zhen chipped in 10 rebounds, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists as the team finished with a 2-3 record.
The Gilas Girls, on the other hand, were led by Grace Curley with a game-high 15 points and 9 rebounds. KJ Badajos made 12 points, while Rhiane Perez and Tiffany Reyes added 11 and 10, respectively.
The Philippines finished their maiden Division A campaign at 6th place with a 1-4 record, which is nonetheless a good run for a team that previously spent some time in Division B before earning the promotion in 2024.
“We’re very optimistic. It’s a big honor for us to be in Division A. We wanted not just to be happy to be here competing but we wanted to take steps,” said head coach Sandy Arespacochaga as they think long-term.
