Japan's women's basketball team saw its run at the FIBA Women's World Cup come to an end on Tuesday, falling 84-63 to Hungary in a decisive group-stage matchup, according to Yahoo!ニュース.
The loss dashed Japan's hopes of reaching the tournament's quarterfinals for the first time in 47 years. Captain Yuki Miyazawa pointed to the team's shooting struggles as the main culprit, saying that without reliable accuracy on two-point and three-point attempts, winning against top international opponents is not possible, as reported by Yahoo!ニュース.
The defeat marked Japan's third consecutive loss to European opposition in the competition, per DUNKSHOOT. Despite the setback, playmaker Rui Machida recorded a tournament-high 12 assists in the game, though the team as a whole could not generate enough offensive firepower to keep pace with Hungary.
Japan entered the game needing a win to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive after earlier results in the group stage. The team had previously lost to Spain, leaving its record at one win and two losses heading into the decisive clash with Hungary, according to Jiji Press.
The result means Japan finishes the World Cup without advancing past the group phase, extending a drought that has lasted nearly five decades. The team's inability to convert scoring chances proved costly against a Hungary side that controlled the tempo and pulled away in the latter stages of the contest.
With the tournament now over for Japan, attention will turn to how the squad rebuilds ahead of future international competitions. The loss underscores the gap that remains between Japan and Europe's top programs, particularly in terms of scoring efficiency under pressure.
