"I was angry that they underestimated Korea." Lee So-hee, who shed tears of joy after a clear gold medal, [Nagoya]

*This content was translated by AI.

"We really fought for our lives."

Lee So-hee (26, Busan BNK Sum), the key player who secured the gold medal in women's basketball at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games, said with a bright smile. This was right after the final match against Japan held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the 27th. On that day, Lee So-hee played brilliantly with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, leading Korea to a 75-70 victory and becoming the main contributor to the gold medal.

It was a gold medal earned after overcoming numerous difficult hurdles. Earlier, South Korea defeated China, which featured 223cm center Zhang Zi, in the semifinals to reach the final. Then, they faced the host nation Japan, backed by one-sided support, and won again in the final. Lee So-hee exploded for a team-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, in the match against China, and then played brilliantly on both offense and defense in the final against Japan.

Especially up to that day, South Korea had lost seven consecutive games against Japan, making them particularly weak against their rivals. Lee So-hee herself had only experienced bitter defeats whenever she faced Japan. However, this time at the Asian Games, her mindset was different. Lee So-hee said, "Today, I tried to win with mental strength. We really fought for our lives." The result was an Asian Games gold medal.

Of course, there were ups and downs. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, she was ejected from the court due to a questionable foul call that led to her fifth personal foul. At a time when Japan's comeback attempt intensified, Lee So-hee's ejection, who had been performing well that day, could have become an unexpected variable. Lee So-hee smiled while saying, "I actually feel my ejection on the fifth foul was unjust," but added, "When I was ejected for five fouls, Japanese fans applauded me. At that moment, I predicted we would win the gold medal."

In fact, it was not just the fact that this was a Korea-Japan match with a gold medal at stake that fueled her will. When asked about the secret to her recent steady upward trend, Lee So-hee said, "I think I got a little angry that they underestimated South Korea when competing in international tournaments." She added, "I believe that gathering that part with passion and practicing a lot was the factor behind my growth." The 'pride' against external views that looked down on Korean women's basketball actually became a stimulant.

That is why her emotions were even more overwhelming when she stood at the very top of the Asian Games podium. Lee So-hee recalled, "When the national anthem played from the podium, I cried so much." She further added a humble response: "Since I am not a player who receives much attention from the opposing team, it seems they didn't know me well. That probably had a big impact on my performance."

Continuing, Lee So-hee said, "Oh Neul (CEO)team had ups and downs in their games. Fortunately, we managed to overcome them and win the gold medal," and added, "First, the men's basketball team (gold medal) started well, and that momentum greatly benefited the women's basketball team as well."

On that day, the Yeo Ja-nong-gu (CEO)team defeated Japan and rose to the top for the first time in 12 years since the 2014 Incheon tournament. Based on tournaments held overseas, it has been 32 years since the 1994 Hiroshima (Japan) tournament. Earlier, the Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO)team also won the gold medal, achieving the great feat of 'joint gold medals' for Korean men's and women's basketball for the first time in 12 years. Coach Park Soo-ho said, "I am so, so happy. I don't know if such a day will come again. It is a day I want to cherish forever. I want to give credit to the players. Thank you very much."

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*This content was translated by AI.