SEREMBAN (Malaysia) - Miya Takeuchi added another Most Valuable Player trophy to her growing collection after earning the top individual honor of the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2026-Division A on Saturday night.
The speedy playmaker was adjudged as the tournament's best after steering Japan to the Final, earning herself another MVP plum after winning her first in the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup last year in this city as well.
Although she fell short on finishing her story in returning to Seremban, the 17-year-old was undeniably one of the event's best performers, which was on full display during the championship bout against Australia,
Takeuchi finished with a personal tournament-high 25 points alongside 6 assists, taking charge in the fourth quarter to help the East Asian side come back from as much as 15 down during the period prior.
She even knocked down a cold-blooded trifecta under duress with 3.7 seconds left for the lead, but luck sided the other team as Madison Ryan won it for the Gems, 83-82, to help the Oceania crew complete a 'three-peat.'
Takeuchi, who also won MVP honors in an international tournament in Germany last April, finished this year's tournament with averages of 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 steals in 23.5 minutes.
By winning the award, the Kanagawa-native bannered the All-Star Five, which consists of Ryan, another Aussie standout in Isabel Smith, Sun Hanyun of third-placers China, and Lim Yeonseo of Korea.
Ryan finished with a strong double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Final, ending the tourney with norms of 17.0 points and 9.4 rebounds, highlighted by three double-doubles in their last three games.
Smith, on the other hand, played a major role in Australia's extension of their dominion in the biennial contest with 16.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. She contributed 16 points in the championship game.
Sun, for her part, helped China take home the bronze for some consolation. She erupted for 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the Third-Place Game against Korea to finish with 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Lim, lastly, was one of the 2026 games' more consistent producers and ended up as the Koreans' best player with averages of 20.0 points alongside 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 steals in 28.3 minutes of play.
FIBA