India's women's basketball team faced a challenging outing at the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, losing 107-69 to South Korea during the group stage. This result leaves India with two straight losses to open the competition, having previously been beaten by Japan.
The Indian Women basketball team suffered a 69-107 loss to South Korea in a Group stage match of the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. Indian Women faced their second defeat of the campaign after their opener loss to Japan. India registered its second straight loss at the continental competition.
Amman, Jordan, is serving as the inaugural host city for the 29th edition of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, which takes place between September 27 and October 3.
South Korea's offensive power was led by Kang Lee-seul's 18 points, while Park Ji-Hyun and Park Hye-jin both added 15, and Shin Ji-Hyun chipped in with 14. For India, captain Shireen Vijay Limaye stepped up with 16 points, performing particularly well in the latter half of the game. Meanwhile, Pushpa Senthil Kumar continued her impressive form, scoring 12 points to maintain her streak of double-digit games this tournament.
Despite their world ranking of 70, the Indian team entered the match determined to keep pace with the high-flying Koreans. Their strategy of fast breaks and accurate shooting initially paid off, limiting South Korea to just a six-point lead in the first quarter.
While India fought valiantly in the first half to close the gap, their momentum collapsed in the second. The third quarter was particularly brutal, with India managing only 7 points while South Korea surged ahead with 33. The world No. 19 team took full control through strategic steals and excellent ball movement, scoring consistently across all quarters. Their efficiency was highlighted by a strong 51% success rate from beyond the three-point arc.
India's offense looked promising as they pushed forward, but their defensive line proved to be the weak link. Despite the players' visible effort across the court, the defensive coordination didn't improve as the match wore on, ultimately leading to 20 turnovers that South Korea exploited.