"Couldn't do it in Japan either," they broke an 11-year title drought with a triumphant first championship in Korea... The Japanese women's basketball world was stirred by the jubilant reaction of their coach.

*This content was translated by AI.

They achieved a championship in Korea that they had never accomplished even in Japan. The historic first title for Japanese women's basketball team Arinmare moved their coach to emotion, and the Japanese W-League closely covered the achievement.

Arinmare claimed the top spot by defeating Yongin Samsung Life 79-54 in the 2026 ticketLINK WKBL Futures League Finals held on the 6th at Bucheon Gymnasium.

This tournament featured not only all six WKBL clubs but also invited teams including Arinmare from Japan's W-League, along with teams from Australia and Vietnam. After fierce competition, Arinmare lifted the championship trophy. In their debut appearance in the Futures League, they immediately secured the title.

Most importantly, this was a special championship for Arinmare.

Arinmare head coach Hiromi Kojima said after the game, "I have been leading this team for 11 years but never won a title in Japan. However, I am delighted to win an international tournament."

In fact, before coming to Korea, they had expected more struggles than a championship. Coach Kojima recalled, "While preparing for the Futures League participation, I thought it would be a very tough tournament. There are so many well-run teams in Korea, and we worried that our prepared plays might not come through properly."

However, once the tournament began, the players exceeded their coach's expectations. Coach Kojima evaluated, "I expected difficult games ahead, but I think the players rose to a level higher than what they showed in practice."

According to him, playing in an unfamiliar environment brought out aspects of their game that they had never easily displayed even in Japan.

Coach Kojima stated, "Through this tournament, we were able to showcase elements like fast tempo and bold defense that we couldn't properly demonstrate in Japan. Playing against other teams overseas also gave the players significant stimulation. The same was true for me."

He continued, "Competing while changing countries and living environments was itself a valuable experience. The players learned what it means to fight. If given another opportunity, I would like to participate again."

At the center of the championship was Arinmare's "Senegalese superstar" Baye Kumba Diassane. Diassane was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the Finals against Samsung Life, he dominated the paint with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Coach Kojima praised, "I hoped our team scoring would not be concentrated on one player but distributed. Diassane showed excellent performance not only in scoring but also in defense."

Indeed, besides Diassane, players like Yuki Nagata scored 15 points and Yui Naito added 13 points, with multiple players contributing evenly to the offense.

Arinmare's first championship achieved in Korea also drew attention in Japan. The Japanese Women's Basketball W-League announced the victory on its official SNS, introducing Arinmare as "the team that won beautifully at the WKBL Futures League." They also shared captain Chihiro Sato's thoughts on the championship.

Notably, the W-League described this achievement as "the first championship signaling a major leap for the team," attaching special significance to it.

They further expressed hope that "carrying the confidence gained from this victory in their hearts, fans would also pay attention to the exciting matches ahead in the W-League."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.