Korean women's basketball team suffers narrow loss to Japan after buzzer-beater

The South Korean women's national basketball team narrowly lost their second friendly match against Japan, falling 77-78 after a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Japan's Koko Tanaka. The team, led by coach Park Soo-ho, had controlled much of the game and appeared headed for victory before the late surge by the Japanese.

Despite the absence of key players Park Ji-su and Park Ji-hyun, the Korean team put up a strong performance. Captain Kang Lee-seul led the scoring with 20 points, including four three-pointers, supported by Lee Ran (17 points) and Choi Yi-seul (13 points). Heo Ye-eun contributed 8 points and 6 assists before leaving the game with a knee injury sustained in the third quarter.

Korea started strong, leading 22-9 after the first quarter with multiple successful three-pointers. Although Japan narrowed the gap in the second and third quarters, Korea maintained a lead, extending it to 58-45 in the third. However, Japan mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, taking their first lead of the game with a three-point play.

Korea managed to regain the lead late in the game, but a final three-pointer from Tanaka sealed the victory for Japan. This second loss concludes Korea's first-ever away friendly series against Japan, serving as preparation for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.