'31 points to 30 points': Im Yeon-seo explodes, FIBA takes notice... U-18 women's basketball team: "We must win" against Taiwan for World Cup qualification

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

At the 2026 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Under-18 (U-18) Women's Asian Cup, South Korea needs just one more victory to secure a spot in the World Cup. At the center of this effort is 'ace' Im Yeon-seo (Gwangju Sophia Girls' High School, Busan BNK). FIBA has also taken note of Im's explosive scoring throughout the group stage.

The South Korean team, led by head coach Lee Young-hyun, will face Taiwan in a quarterfinal qualifier at 5:30 p.m. (KST) on the 8th at the Charisma Arena in Seremban, Malaysia.

In Group A of the group stage, South Korea defeated New Zealand 74-71 and the Philippines 86-70 in consecutive games. They lost to Australia 56-92 in their final match, finishing with a record of two wins and one loss to advance to the quarterfinal qualifier as the second-place team in the group.

A total of eight countries are participating in this tournament, divided into two groups of four teams each for the group stage. The top team from each group advances directly to the semifinals, while the second- and third-place teams compete in quarterfinal qualifiers.

If South Korea defeats Taiwan to reach the semifinals, they will be among the top four teams in the tournament and secure a berth in the 2027 FIBA U-19 Women's World Cup, which will be held in Chengdu, China, next July.

Im Yeon-seo's performance stood out prominently in the group stage.

She scored a massive 31 points in the opening game against New Zealand. She also added five rebounds, five assists, and six steals to lead South Korea to a 74-71 victory.

She also erupted for 30 points against the Philippines, recording over 30 points in two consecutive games. In the match against Australia, she scored 16 points, the highest among all South Korean players. She led her team in scoring in all three group stage matches.

FIBA also highlighted Im Yeon-seo separately. The federation noted that while Im was the youngest member of the national team at last year's U-19 Women's World Cup, she is now taking on a leadership role for South Korea at this U-18 Asian Cup.

Specifically regarding her performance against New Zealand, FIBA stated, "Im Yeon-seo's play stood out in the late stages of the game," adding, "Even as New Zealand mounted a fierce comeback, she kept her composure and secured South Korea's victory."

Im Yeon-seo also reflected that the experience gained at last year's U-19 World Cup has been a great help in this tournament.

In August, Im was selected with the second overall pick by Busan BNK in the 2026~2027 Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) rookie draft held at Cheongju Gymnasium.

Her performance on the high school stage this season was also overwhelming.

At the 63rd Spring National Middle and High School Basketball League, she led Gwangju Sophia Girls' High School to a championship and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP). She also swept the scoring, assists, rebounds, and defense awards, achieving a personal five-award sweep.

Gwangju Sophia Girls' High School subsequently won the Association President's Cup National Middle and High School Basketball Tournament and the Korean Middle and High School Basketball Weekend League King of Kings tournament, achieving a three-tournament sweep for the season. Im Yeon-seo claimed MVP in all three tournaments her team won, effectively dominating the high school stage.

Her upward trend continues on the international stage as well.

However, Im Yeon-seo credited those around her rather than her own performance. Speaking through the Korea Basketball Association, she said, "The reason I was able to score so many points in a major international tournament is because my head coach and assistant coaches trusted me and gave me many opportunities," adding, "Without my teammates who played alongside me, I could not have achieved these records."

More important than personal statistics is the World Cup ticket.

Im Yeon-seo stated, "The team atmosphere is very good. The players are constantly communicating and pulling for each other, and we know ourselves that we have prepared harder than anyone else so far," emphasizing, "Since our goal is to win a World Cup ticket, we will approach the game against Taiwan with the mindset that we must win, united in one heart and mind."

Head coach Lee Young-hyun clearly pointed out the key moments in the match against Taiwan.

Coach Lee stated, "Taiwan is traditionally a team with good physicality and tenacity, so it is important not to be pushed around in the early momentum battle," adding, "We will strengthen our switch defense and zone defense by utilizing defensive strategies we did not use in the preliminary rounds."

He continued, expressing confidence, "If we can prevent opponents from grabbing rebounds through box-outs, I believe we have a sufficient chance of winning."

Weaknesses identified in the group stage are also clear. South Korea struggled with height and box-outs, allowing many offensive rebounds to their opponents. On the other hand, it is positive that their defensive rotation has been improving as the games progress.

Coach Lee emphasized, "Because they are young players, there may be fluctuations in performance. I hope they can reduce these variations and show consistent play," adding, "I hope they approach the game with tenacity to never give up until the end and confidence that they can win."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original