Despite last week’s sweep of Portugal in a three-game exhibition series, Japan’s women’s basketball team has pressing questions in need of answers ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The showdown against the European side at Yokohama Budokan marked the first competition for the Akatsuki Five in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In that time they have lost several core players to injuries and retirements — a group that includes Ramu Tokashiki, Asami Yoshida and Yuka Osaki, who all helped Japan reach the quarterfinals at Rio 2016.