The South Korean women's 3x3 basketball team achieved a historic milestone by winning its first medal at the Asian Games, defeating Thailand 21-8 in the bronze medal match on September 25 at a special court in Nagoya, Japan. This marks the first time South Korea's women's 3x3 basketball team has reached the podium at the Asian Games, a discipline that was officially adopted starting from the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
The team, coached by Jeon Byeong-jun, advanced to the knockout stage as the top seed in Group D, recording three consecutive victories against Thailand (13-12), Indonesia (21-4), and Singapore (22-13). In the quarterfinals, they edged out Thailand again with a score of 14-12. However, their hopes of reaching the finals were dashed when they lost to Japan 19-8 in the semifinals.
In the bronze medal match, South Korea quickly regained its momentum. After facing Thailand earlier in the group stage and quarterfinals, the team exploded offensively to secure the medal.
The start was challenging, as South Korea initially fell behind 3-6 due to Thailand's aggressive play. However, the tide turned when Heo Yu-jeong (Shinhan Bank) hit a two-pointer to break the tie at 6-6, followed by consecutive long-range shots from Choi Ye-seul (Samsung Life), allowing South Korea to pull ahead 14-6.
South Korea's offensive onslaught continued, extending the lead to 19-8 as Thailand struggled to find a way back into the game. Ultimately, South Korea reached 21 points just 7 minutes and 36 seconds into the match, finishing the game without needing the full 10 minutes of regulation time.
Choi Ye-seul was the standout performer, scoring 10 points, including four successful two-pointers out of five attempts. Heo Yu-jeong contributed 7 points, leading the outside shooting, while Song Yoon-ha (KB) secured four rebounds and one block to protect the paint. Kim Jeong-eun (BNK) added 2 points.
South Korea recorded a shooting percentage of 53%, hitting 8 of 15 two-point attempts, while Thailand managed only two successful outside shots. Key two-pointers at critical moments widened the gap between the two teams.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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