"A big change is great!"' Park Ji-hyun + Kang Yi-seul scored 42 points in Korean women's basketball, 'world's 8th' Nigeria's 'Wanpa' → 17th consecutive World Cup finals 'Green Light'

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean women's national basketball team took a great step toward advancing to the 2026 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Cup finals by overpowering Nigeria, "Africa's champion."

The South Korean national team, led by head coach Park Soo-ho, defeated "world No. 8" Nigeria 77-60 in the second round of the group stage of the '2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Final Qualifier' held in Villerrevan Astroval, France on the 12th (Korea time). It was like a complete washout of the shock of Germany's crushing defeat in the first game.

Park Ji-hyun (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Kang Yi-seul (20 points and 5 3-pointers) contributed the most to the victory. Park Ji-hyun penetrated Nigeria's defense with a reckless breakthrough and an accurate mid-range shot, and Kang Yi-seul brought the flow of the game completely with a "godly outer gun" that he hit at every match.

Under the basket, "Birdle" Park Ji-soo shone. Park Ji-soo scored 11 points and 10 rebounds against Nigeria's strong physical, achieving a double-double, making sure to take the center stage in defense and rebounding.

At the beginning of the game, it seemed to be struggling under Nigeria's height, but South Korea fought back with its unique rapid airlift and organic team play. In particular, the tactic of inducing Nigeria's error with a strong advanced pressure defense and then connecting it to a fastball was effective. South Korea, which finished with a lead in the first half, did not lose its concentration in the fourth quarter and widened the score gap further, breaking Nigeria's willingness to chase. He led Nigeria for 31 minutes and 35 seconds on the day. The maximum lead difference was 19 points.

This victory means more than just one win. The players' morale reached its peak because it was a victory over Nigeria, which was considered to be ahead of them in objective power. South Korea, which is already one step closer to the ticket to the World Cup finals, which will give the top two teams except Germany, the host country, and Nigeria, the winner of the AfroBasket, who have already confirmed their advance to the women's basketball World Cup finals in September, is now on the verge of achieving the milestone of reaching the finals for the 17th consecutive time.

The women's basketball team, which delivered a miraculous victory, will try to win two consecutive games against Colombia on the 14th.

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*This content was translated by AI.