19-year-old Kokoro Tanaka chose the perfect time for her breakout game as the Akatsuki Japan stop China in the semifinals of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2025.
Akatsuki Japan are back in the championship round — and back on top of China.
Behind a breakout performance from 19-year-old Kokoro Tanaka, Japan dethroned China with a 90–81 win in the 2025 FIBA Asia Women’s Cup semifinals Saturday, avenging their loss in the 2023 Finals that ended their streak of five straight titles.
Tanaka erupted for 27 points, knocking down five triples to power Japan’s perimeter assault.
Japan connected on 16 three-pointers overall — 10 more than China — to seize control in a high-octane battle between continental heavyweights.
Yang Shuyu paced China with 19 points, but the reigning champions couldn’t match Japan’s offensive rhythm and fell short in their title defense.
Ranked no. 9 in the world by FIBA, Japan now sets its sights on world no. 2 Australia in the Finals.
The Opals won their earlier Group B meeting, 79–67, but Japan will be riding high on momentum and redemption as they look to reclaim the Asian crown.
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[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]