The Korea U-19 women's basketball team lost to the United States by 81 points in their first game of the 2025 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U-19 World Cup.
Under the guidance of head coach Kang Byeong-soo, Korea lost 53-134 to the United States in the first match of Group A, which was held in Brno, Czech Republic, on the 13th (Korea time).
As a result, Korea started the group stage competition in last place, falling behind Israel, which lost 82-86 to Hungary in goal differential. The United States started in first place, with Hungary in second.
Korea secured its spot in the tournament by finishing fourth in the U-18 Women's Asia Cup last year. However, the United States, vying for the title of the world's strongest team, was an overwhelmingly strong opponent.
In this game, the team fell behind 17-30 in the first quarter and managed to add only 8 points while giving up 34 points in the second quarter, leading to an early collapse. They continued to struggle, losing the third quarter 13-30 and the final quarter 15-40, unable to turn the tide. They were overwhelmed by the United States in all aspects, with rebounds 27-56, team assists 16-31, and shooting percentage 33%-61%.
Song Yoon-ha was the only player to score in double digits, with 15 points and 3 rebounds. Lim Yeon-seo (Gwangju Supia Girls' High School) recorded 9 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Sienna Betts of the United States shone with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Korea's next opponent is Israel. The team will face Israel in their second game at 2:45 a.m. on the 14th, followed by their final group stage match against Hungary at 9:30 p.m. on the 15th.
[Photo] Social media of the Korea national basketball team.
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