The world no. 2 Opals are FIBA Women's Asia Cup champions for the first time ever, beating Akatsuki Japan in the Finals of the 2025 edition.
Australia made history on Sunday, clinching its first-ever FIBA Women’s Asia Cup championship with an 88–79 victory over Japan in the 2025 Finals.
The world no. 2 Opals controlled most of the contest at the Shenzen Sports Center, building a lead as large as 16 points.
But Japan, led by 19-year-old rising star Kokoro Tanaka, roared back to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter before Australia pulled away in the final minutes.
Alexandra Fowler, later named tournament MVP, paced Australia with 15 points. She got solid support from Alex Wilson (14 points) and Stephanie Reid (13 points) as the Opals capped off their undefeated run.
Tanaka, who scored 27 in the semifinals against China, once again led Akatsuki Japan with 21 points, but the world no. 9 Japanese settled for silver for the second straight tournament after winning five consecutive titles.
Since debuting in the FIBA Asia Women’s Cup in 2017, Australia had reached the Finals just once before, losing to Japan that same year.
Australia then won three straight bronze medals, and the 2025 title now marks a breakthrough for the Opals, who finally reached the top of the podium.
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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.]