Korea’s firepower exploded. Korea advanced to the final by showing off its overwhelming performance against Montenegro.
The Korean women’s basketball team (FIBA ranking 13th) beat Montenegro (FIBA ranking 22nd) 88-66 in the semifinals of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup pre-qualification qualification round at Himnacio Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City, Mexico on the 25th (Korea time).
Lee So-hee (23 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) showed off her strength. Lee’s field shooting rate reached 72.7 percent (8/11), including all five three-point shots. Kang I-seul (20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) backed by four three-point shots, while Park Ji-hyun (16 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) made a double-double. 메이저놀이터
Korea showed off its aggressive capabilities from the very beginning of the game. In the first quarter, the team showed off its fast attack following a surprise defense of pressure. Korea, which had five fast attacks in the first quarter alone, added two 3-pointers by Lee So-hee and tough shots by Kang I-seul to end the first quarter 25-13. In a crisis where Korea could allow its fast attack after Park Ji-soo’s error, Jihyun Shin induced the opponent team’s touchout and cut the flow of the attack, which also helped greatly.
Korea showed off strong attack strength in the second quarter as well. Her fastballs were quieter compared to the first quarter, but she showed strong performance in three-point shots and ran further. Lee also scored one 3-point shot in the second quarter, recording 100 percent (5/5) of field goal in the first half, spearheading Korea’s offense with 13 points. The score was 52-31 at the end of the first half.
It was time for Korea in the third quarter as well. Park Ji-hyun was away for a while due to collision with an opponent, but continued her leisurely lead by earning an “U” foul by Anastasia. Korea maintained active offense by adding Kang Se-seul’s 3-pointer and Lee Hae-ran’s fastball score, finishing the third quarter 68-45.
South Korea, which took the lead early on, continued to maintain the double-digit gap by putting in the main players in the fourth quarter. Kang Yi-seul and Lee So-hee hit three-point shots again to break Montenegro’s willingness to chase. South Korea broke the flow by making consecutive errors in the middle of the fourth quarter, but after maintaining a comfortable gap, it secured a complete victory.
South Korea, which showed off its potential in the semifinals after overcoming its struggles in the group stage, will play the Mexico-Czech winner in the final qualifying round at 8 a.m. on the 26th.