"They Did It Even Without Jisu Park and Park Ji-hyun" — South Korea's 11-Player Women's Basketball Team Battles to Miracle Gold After 12 Years [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] It was a thrilling upset that overturned conventional wisdom. In the middle of a daunting campaign on hostile ground after losing both of its key pieces, 11 Korean women in the national colors completed a miraculous gold-medal story.
The South Korean women's national basketball team, led by head coach Park Soo-ho, defeated host Japan 75-70 in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on the 26th, capturing the coveted gold medal. It marked South Korea's return to the top of Asia 12 years after the 2014 Incheon Games, as well as its first Asian Games title on foreign soil in 32 years since the 1994 Hiroshima Games.
Ahead of the tournament, concerns about the national team outweighed expectations. Jisu Park (KB Stars), a pillar of Korean basketball, was sidelined while undergoing rehabilitation, while ace Park Ji-hyun (Los Angeles Sparks) also missed the tournament because of her club schedule in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). With just 11 players—unable to fill even a 12-player roster—the team had to endure a grueling schedule with a thin squad.

But the deepening sense of crisis became a powerful catalyst that united the team. South Korea defeated China, anchored by 220-cm Zhang Ziyu, in the semifinal on the 25th to snap a six-game losing streak in head-to-head meetings. In the final, South Korea pulled off another upset by defeating archrival Japan, which had recently beaten it seven consecutive times.
South Korea seized control from the start with relentless energy and took a commanding 42-23 lead into halftime. Lee Hae-ran dominated inside, while Kang Lee-seul of Woori Bank and Lee So-hee of BNK caught fire from beyond the arc.

There was a tense moment, however. Japan mounted a fierce comeback in the second half and cut the deficit to 72-70 with 15 seconds remaining, leaving South Korea clinging to a two-point lead. But with 14 seconds left, captain Kang Lee-seul calmly sank both free throws to put the nail in the coffin. Lee Hae-ran led the victory with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Kang Lee-seul, with 21 points and seven rebounds, and Lee So-hee, with 16 points and four assists, also delivered key baskets to anchor South Korea's gold-medal celebration.
Meanwhile, Korean basketball reached the top of Asia in the women's competition as well, following the men's 5-on-5 national team, which won its first title in 12 years, and the men's 3-on-3 team, which captured its first-ever gold medal. It was a landmark achievement that opened a golden era for both men's and women's basketball in Nagoya.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter