SEREMBAN (Malaysia) - Miya Takeuchi was awarded the Most Valuable Player title at the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2026-Division A on Saturday night. The talented playmaker's performance helped lead Japan to the Final, where she solidified her growing reputation by collecting her second MVP award, having previously earned her first in the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup last year in the same city.
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In the championship match against Australia, the 17-year-old scored a tournament-high 25 points and recorded 6 assists. Takeuchi played a crucial role in the fourth quarter, driving her team back from a 15-point deficit. She made a critical three-pointer with just 3.7 seconds remaining to give Japan the lead, but Australia ultimately triumphed, winning 83-82 through a last-minute shot by Madison Ryan to secure their third consecutive title.
Takeuchi's overall performance in the tournament included averages of 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 steals over 23.5 minutes per game. Her contributions earned her a spot on the All-Star Five, which featured Madison Ryan, Isabel Smith, Sun Hanyun of China, and Lim Yeonseo of Korea.
Ryan finished the Final with a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds and averaged 17.0 points and 9.4 rebounds throughout the tournament, achieving three double-doubles in her last three games. Smith, another Australian standout, contributed significantly to their win with an average of 16.8 points, including 16 points in the championship match.
Sun Hanyun helped secure a bronze medal for China, scoring 32 points in the Third-Place Game against Korea. She concluded the tournament with averages of 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. Lim was Korea's leading player, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 steals over 28.3 minutes of play.