"We could have met Japan..." Hungary also admitted "Korea was really tough," but lost in a narrow defeat... Ultimately, they will face Germany's 'tall army,' making the path to the quarterfinals even more difficult.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean Yeo Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, led by coach Park Soo-ho, could not overcome Hungary. They fought fiercely, with even opposing players admitting that facing Korea was extremely difficult, but the heartbreaking loss made the road to the quarterfinals even more challenging.

On the 7th (Korea time), in the third group stage match of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Group B held at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, Korea narrowly lost to Hungary 73-82.

Korea started on a high note with a 99-81 victory over Nigeria in their first match on the 4th. However, after losing to France 69-95 and failing to overcome Hungary, they finished the group stage with one win and two losses.

Having secured third place in Group B, Korea will now face a single-match showdown against Germany, the second-place team in Group A, for a spot in the quarterfinals.

A total of 16 countries participated in this World Cup, divided into four groups of four teams each for the group stage. The top team from each group advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams compete in a play-in tournament to determine their entry into the knockout rounds.

From Korea's perspective, the loss to Hungary was particularly regrettable. Had Korea defeated Hungary, they would have secured second place in Group B and faced Japan, the third-place team in Group A, in the quarterfinal play-in. However, losing to Hungary dropped them to third place in Group B, changing their opponent from Japan to host nation Germany.

Germany is no easy opponent. Although ranked 11th in the FIBA world rankings, one spot below Japan (10th), they boast overwhelming height. Naira Sabali and Luisa Geiselseder both stand at 193 cm, while Leonie Pibich reaches 190 cm. Notably, Pibich, a shooting guard, also stands at an impressive 190 cm, making the matchup itself a significant burden for Korea.

Japan also failed to overcome Germany's height advantage in the group stage, suffering a heavy 58-74 defeat.

Korea has already experienced Germany's height challenge. In March's Women's Basketball World Cup qualifiers, they were soundly defeated by Germany with a 27-point margin (49-76). This time, they face another formidable opponent.

Of course, Japan is by no means an easy opponent either. Korea lost both of their two away exhibition matches against Japan last month.

However, the games were closely contested. Korea relentlessly troubled Japan in both matches, particularly in the second exhibition game where they came close to victory until the final moments. Leading 77-75 at the time, Korea allowed a heartbreaking go-ahead three-pointer by Kokoro Tanaka with just 0.2 seconds remaining, losing 77-78 by a single point.

Given their recent direct encounters and relatively familiar playing styles, Japan could have been a less burdensome opponent for Korea compared to Germany.

However, failing to clear that final hurdle changed the bracket. Hungary, with two wins and one loss, secured second place in Group B and will face Japan, the third-place team in Group A. Meanwhile, third-placed Korea in Group B will clash with second-placed Germany in Group A for a quarterfinal berth.

Korea did not lose helplessly to Hungary. According to Hungarian media outlet M4 Sport, Hungary's Takács-Kis Virág stated after the match: "We knew the first game against France would be very difficult, and we thought we could win the remaining two games comfortably. It turned out that way, so we are happy."

She also gave high praise to Korea's performance. Takács-Kis Virág said, "Facing Korea was really tough. Korean players were not tall, but they were fast, aggressive, and present everywhere on the court."

Ultimately, height decided the outcome. Hungary grabbed an impressive 43 rebounds in this game, while Korea managed only 21. The rebounding count showed a difference of more than double.

Takács-Kis Virág also reflected: "Rebounding was key to our victory. It was also important to stop Korea's fast breaks. To do that, we had to run a lot."

Another Hungarian player, Kinga József, also acknowledged that Korea's unique playing style was quite challenging.

He said, "The playing styles of Asian teams are very unfamiliar to us. Even with preparation, it wasn't easy."

Korea's speed and activity level were sufficiently threatening, as even the opponent admitted. In this game, 'ace' Park Ji-hyun (LA Sparks) led the team with 21 points, while Choi Yi-sam and Lee So-hee (both BNK) added 13 and 12 points respectively.

However, they ultimately could not overcome Hungary. The path to the quarterfinals has become even more difficult.

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*This content was translated by AI.