The FIBA Women’s Asia Cup has witnessed intense competition, with Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan securing their spots in the prestigious FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Asia. The highly anticipated semifinals will feature New Zealand against Japan and China against Australia on July 01, 2023.
Australia showed their resilience after a previous defeat, triumphing over South Korea with a convincing 91-64 victory.
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Led by the outstanding performance of Lauren Scherf, who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Australia dominated the court from the outset, leaving no room for their opponents to mount a serious threat.
Meanwhile, New Zealand faced a tough challenge against the underdog Philippines but managed to clinch a hard-fought 83-78 victory.
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Charlisse Leger-Walker was instrumental in the win, contributing an impressive game-high of 34 points. The Philippines’ rising star, Vanessa De Jesus, was contained to just four points during the intense matchup.
In an earlier faceoff, China, ranked as the world’s second-best team, battled fiercely against South Korea and emerged victorious in an 87-81 overtime thriller.
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Han Xu, the star center, delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 33 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while Li Meng added 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The upcoming semi-final between Australia and China promises to be a nail-biting rematch, recalling China’s narrow 61-59 win over Australia in last year’s World Cup.
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On the other hand, New Zealand is celebrating its historic first-ever appearance in the Asia Cup semifinals and is set to challenge the five-time defending champions, Japan.
All four teams are determined to claim the title of FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 champions and secure their place on the Road to Paris 2024, aiming to qualify for the much-coveted Olympic Games.
