TOKYO (Japan) - Yuka Osaki, known as Yuka Mamiya before marrying in 2017, has seen her fair share of challenges throughout her basketball career. Most of the time, she's been able to overcome those challenges and even conquering them at times. This year, Yuka is facing one of her biggest hurdles, trying to make her way onto Japan's upcoming Olympic team as a young mother.

Yuka has been a vital part of the Japanese women's national team for most of her life, making her first senior national team debut in 2009. She then played in her first FIBA Women's Asia Cup in 2011 and immediately made an impact in the post.

In 2013, Yuka had her best Women's Asia Cup yet with 13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game playing alongside Ramu Tokashiki, which resulted in a title for Japan, the first of three consecutive trophies Yuka help claim up until 2017. She also played in Rio 2016, making it to the Quarter-Finals of the competition that summer. Yuka then contributed to her club, JX-ENEOS Sunflowers, winning their 10^th consecutive Women's Japan Basketball League (WJBL) title early in 2018.

It was shortly later after winning that title when Yuka Osaki announced the wonderful news to the world that she was pregnant. At the age of 28, Osaki took a break from competitive basketball and gave birth to her daughter in  December that year.

Though Osaki didn't expect to return to the court at that moment, she continued to work out and stay in shape. Eventually, as the Olympics approached closer and closer, it was as if a little voice in her head was urging her to make a comeback.

"I can't miss the Tokyo Olympics without giving it a try," she said, as reported by Nikkei.

(Yuka Osaki, Rio 2016 Olympics)

After getting back in shape, Osaki resumed full training in late 2019 at her alma mater. Then she rented a public gymnasium to train with Yoshiyuki Matsuno, a sports performance coach for Japan national teams.

By the time Japan's training camp for the FIBA Women's Olympics Qualifying Tournament started on January 22, 2020, Yuka Osaki was there practicing in the post with Tokashiki and Maki Takada.

It was not easy for Osaki, who had been away from the game for a while, as she mentioned that there was a lot to remember, which had her a bit frustrated. Moreover, nothing was guaranteed even for a three-time Women's Asia Cup champion and an Olympian like Osaki.

"I can't give her a spot easily. This is a tryout," said head coach Tom Hovasse as per Nikkei.

So Osaki battled for her spot on the team. When the dust settled, Osaki made it onto the 17-player roster and eventually made the cut as one of the final 12 players that flew to Belgium on February 6.

The 30-year-old played 11.7 minutes per game and scored 4.7 points per game for Japan. Those numbers might be wildly off compared with her usual output playing in the national team jersey, but this moment was much bigger than merely on-court performance.

There have been some Japanese women's athletes who continued to maintain their success after giving birth. Ryoko Tani won a total of 5 Olympics medals, the last of which was when she was still a young mother in 2008. Volleyball player Erika Araki became a mother in 2013 after winning a medal at London 2012 and is expected to return to the squad for the Tokyo Olympics.

However, according to the Japan Basketball Association (JBA), there has yet to be a case where a women's national team basketball player has returned to play after giving birth.

For Osaki, the desire to be on the national team at the Olympics at home is undoubtedly a major driving force. More than her personal interest, however, is the fact that she feels she can pave the way and inspire other female athletes who might look to pursue the same journey of being a mother and a world-class athlete if she gets to play in the Tokyo Olympics.

"Because there are few precedents, I can succeed as I like. Even if I fail or succeed, I think I can make the way [for others]," Osaki said as per The Sankei News.

Osaki says her goals if she gets selected to the team will be helping rest Tokashiki and Takada and relieve coach Hovasse with her defense. She'll be helping out a lot more than just that - especially with female athletes - if she eventually does make it to the Tokyo 2020 squad.

FIBA