After injury setbacks, Manami Fujioka, Sanae Motokawa enjoying chance to compete for national team
Competition can be a blessing. Just ask Manami Fujioka and Sanae Motokawa. While they are getting into tough battles to compete for roster spots on Japan's 2020 Olympic roster, Fujioka and Motokawa are delighted to be running up and down the court at training camp for ...
Sunflowers captain Asami Yoshida bids farewell to the game
Asami Yoshida, one of the greatest players in Japanese women's basketball history, announced her retirement on Monday, saying that she can no longer motivate herself even with the Tokyo Olympics drawing near. The JX-Eneos Sunflowers, Yoshida’s home throughout her Women’s Japan Basketball League career, had ...
WJBL powerhouse JX-Eneos Sunflowers chasing history in upcoming season
The JX-Eneos Sunflowers have completely dominated on the court in Japanese women's basketball for the last decade. But winning never gets old for the ultimate title collectors. In fact, if they capture another trophy in the upcoming Women's Japan Basketball League season, the Sunflowers will ...
Sunflowers see off early challenge to rout Iris in All-Japan Championship final
Star center Maki Takada kept hitting jumpers and the Denso Iris were giving the undisputed best women's team in Japan a challenge early in their contest. But the Sunflowers responded, making wise adjustments both offensively and defensively, and finished the game in their usual dominating ...
Japan women's basketball has come up with positive results internationally in recent years, and now it is looking to legitimately put itself on the global hoop map as an elite power. But this goal requires development of the entire country's basketball, not just the top ...
Fujioka blossoming into star, leader
There is probably nobody else that shines as brightly as Manami Fujioka does in Japanese women's basketball right now, and many believe that she has the potential to eventually transform into a superstar player. The 23-year-old largely contributed to Japan winning its third straight Asian ...
Australia sends Japan to first loss of FIBA Women's Asia Cup
Japan suffered its first defeat of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup on Tuesday, losing a tight battle to Australia 83-74 and in the process missing a chance to finish atop Group B. After a competitive first half in Bangalore, India, the Australians locked in to ...
Asami Yoshida steered Japan to its second win in two days at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Bangalore, India on Monday, beating South Korea to ensure a top-two finish in Group B. After Japan coach Tom Hovasse sat her for almost all of the ...
Japan blew out the Philippines by 51 points for a 106-55 win in its opening match of the Women's Asia Cup on Sunday. Keyed by 21 points from 22-year-old small forward Evelyn Mawuli, Japan broke the Filipinos' spirit early and was never challenged before closing ...
Staley pleased with South Carolina's play against Japan
The University of South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, the reigning NCAA champions, recently completed a tour of Tokyo that included three scrimmages against Japan's women's national team and a little time off the court to experience Japanese culture and get a feel for ...
Fujioka building big reputation
She is big, strong, tough, smart, and can do everything. Youngster Manami Fujioka could be the next floor leader and star guard for the Japan women's national basketball team. It's only been one year since she graduated from the University of Tsukuba, but Fujioka has already ...
Dominant Sunflowers finish season unbeaten
The Jx-Eneos Sunflowers are perhaps the most dominant sports team in Japan today. They tamed the Toyota Antelopes 75-51 in Game 3 of the Women's Japan Basketball League Finals at Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 2 on Sunday to complete a series sweep. They completed the ...
