Asan Ouri Bank Loses to Fujitsu in Park Shin-ja Cup Final

Asan Ouri Bank finished as the runner-up in the 2026 Park Shin-ja Cup after losing 71-78 to Japan’s Fujitsu Red Wave in the Oct. 11, 2026, final at Cheongju Gymnasium, according to newspim.com. The defeat stopped Ouri Bank from claiming its first-ever title in the tournament. newspim.com reported that Fujitsu secured its third championship and tied Bucheon Hana Bank for the most tournament titles in history. The runner-up finish came with a 10 million won prize for Ouri Bank, as reported by SBS News.

Fujitsu secures historic third straight title

Fujitsu claimed the 15 million won winner’s prize and became the first international team to win three consecutive Park Shin-ja Cup titles, as detailed by OSEN. The victory placed Fujitsu alongside Bucheon Hana Bank, which won three straight titles from 2018 to 2020, as reported by newspim.com. Head coach Hikaru Kusaka noted that his squad relied on tight pressure defense to fend off Ouri Bank’s late-game surge, according to mt.co.kr. Kusaka explained that the initial plan focused on the paint, but allowing perimeter shots in the first half disrupted the strategy, prompting a return to basics and pressure defense through a timeout. Kusaka also mentioned that while the core focus was on Kang I-seul and Kim Dan-bi, players like Lee Myung-gwan had stepped up, and remarked on the growing proficiency of outside shooting among Korean teams following matches against them and during the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The 2025-2026 season Japanese W League third-place team established a 19-15 lead in the first quarter with six players scoring evenly, before pouring in 30 points in the second quarter, as reported by SBS News and OSEN.

Ouri Bank falls short despite late-game rally

Ouri Bank clawed back from a 12-point halftime deficit of 37-49 to tie the score at 64-64 in the fourth quarter following consecutive perimeter shots from Lee Myung-gwan and Mako Fujimoto, according to SBS News. Nana Katayama then hit a three-pointer to put Ouri Bank ahead 67-66, as noted by newspim.com. However, OSEN reported that Ouri Bank ran out of steam down the stretch, allowing Fujitsu to score seven unanswered points with 2:28 remaining to seal the 78-71 victory. Katayama contributed 9 points in the third quarter and finished with 14 points and 3 rebounds, while Fujimoto added 12 points and 5 rebounds, per OSEN.

Standout player performances in the final

Lee Myung-gwan led Ouri Bank with 20 points, while Kim Dan-bi added 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, according to newspim.com. For Fujitsu, Samantha Puring scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double-double, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors with 5 out of 11 media votes alongside a 2 million won prize, while Rui Machida contributed 14 points and 7 assists, as reported by newspim.com. Puring averaged 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 17 minutes and 8 seconds across 6 games.

Third-place match results and tournament history

In the third-place match preceding the final, Incheon Shinhan Bank defeated Cheongju KB 76-54 to claim third place and a 5 million won prize, according to SBS News. Sakura Noguchi anchored the paint with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Cheongju KB’s Heo Ye-eun fought hard with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the heavy defeat, according to SBS News and OSEN. The Park Shin-ja Cup, established by the Women’s Korean Basketball League in 2015 to honor former director Park Shin-ja, has now seen foreign clubs capture the trophy for four consecutive years since Toyota’s 2023 victory, newspim.com stated.

Questions remain for Korean teams against international competition

With international clubs continuing their dominance at the Park Shin-ja Cup and domestic teams failing to reclaim the trophy since 2020, questions persist over how WKBL sides can close the gap against top-tier WLeague opponents like Fujitsu. Whether Ouri Bank and other domestic contenders can adjust their defensive schemes to counter relentless perimeter pressure remains to be seen as the regular season approaches.