'Humble' Fowler leads Opals to Asia Cup gold

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The Australian Opals are the best women's basketball team in Asia, led by birthday girl MVP Alex Fowler.

Fowler, 24 today, delivered on the big stage, scoring 15 points on 7-from-11 from the field, pulling down six rebounds, dishing two assists and a block.

She was +7 in 30 minutes as the Opals beat arch-rival Japan 88-79 in the final of the 2025 Asia Cup in China on Sunday, July 20, 2025 at the Shenzhen Sports Center.

It's the first time Australia has won the Asia Cup, even more impressively it was without the Opals' WNBA stars and their head coach Sandy Brondello.

The world is on notice: Australian women's basketball is deep.

"It’s so fun to be out on the stage and play in front of a crowd wearing the Australian jersey," Opals star Alex Fowler said.

"We had an amazing group of girls come together and I couldn’t be more proud of the group, and the coaching staff, and all the people that put in all the time and effort behind the scenes.

"It’s been so much fun this whole tournament."

Head coach Paul Goriss said Japan were tough, even though Australia beat them in the Group Phase.

"We knew coming in, Japan had a huge win last night against China and they were going to be a formidable opponent from the round games when we played them," Goriss said.

"Our team and the players really bought into the game plan, and the analytics and the statistics that we had — some key areas that we wanted to keep Japan to — and continued to play our own style at the same time.

"Our players really bought into that. Our pace, our execution defensively, I think was one of the better games of our tournament defensively.

"You could just see by everybody coming in and contributing.

"So really happy and proud of the team for their efforts for this whole week.

The gold medal came within hours of Australia's Under-19 women's winning silver at the FIBA Under-19 Women's World Cup.

Fowler was named MVP and Goriss said she was more than just a great basketball player.

"What sets Alex apart is, number one, her humility," he said.

"She’s always there to do, number one, the right thing by the team, and she just takes that team-first approach.

"I’ve had the pleasure of coaching her one year back in WNBL, but also to have her here with the Opals. She’s so versatile at both ends of the floor — she can defend a number of people out on the floor, she can play in the positional style that the Opals want to play.

Her work ethic is second to none and she’ll just do whatever it takes. I think that, credit to her, because the MVP was truly hers. I think that she was one of the most, if not the most, efficient players in this tournament on both ends of the floor.

"When we needed a basket, if we needed a rebound, if we needed somebody to get a stop, she was always there. She’s always dependable and reliable. But just being so humble, I think really sets her apart — that she just is a great teammate."

Fowler heaped praise on all those who have supported her as she looked forward to competing for the Opals again.

"I couldn’t be here today without all the coaches that have helped me along the way," she said.

"Again, it’s just an honour to be a part of the Opals team. They’ve had such success over the years and I’ve always looked up to that, and that’s been a goal of mine to do that. I hope potentially in the future to continue to do that.

"It’s a credit to all the coaches over the years, my parents, everyone — all the time they put in to getting me to trainings, to putting the extra hours with me.

"As I’ve continued to develop and get older, my game continues to grow. I think again, credit to Goriss — he’s put me in a position that I’m not used to being in.

"I think in the style of play that we’re kind of getting into, it’s more positionless and I think, yeah, he’s put me in situations, he had the trust in me to put me in situations that I don’t think I’m usually that good at.

"Credit to him and the coaching staff for giving me the chance and trusting me to do it."

Key Details

• Result: Australia 88 def. Japan 79
• When: 20th July 2025
• Where: Shenzhen Sports Center, People's Republic of China

By the Numbers

• Alex Fowler (Australia) starred with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 30 minutes.
• Kokoro Tanaka (Japan) scored 21 points, had six rebounds, nine assists in 28 minutes.

What Happened

Australia established dominance early, jumping out to a 29-20 lead after the first quarter behind Step Reid's sharp shooting from beyond the arc. The Opals extended their advantage in the second period, outscoring Japan 25-23 to take a comfortable 54-43 lead into halftime. Australia's offensive efficiency was on display as they connected on five three-pointers in the first half.

The third quarter saw Japan make a push, outscoring Australia 16-13 as the Opals' offense cooled temporarily. Yuki Miyazawa hit two crucial three-pointers during this stretch to keep Japan within striking distance. However, Australia responded in the fourth quarter with a 21-20 edge to secure the nine-point victory.

Fowler's efficient performance was the difference-maker for Australia. The centre shot an impressive 7-from-11 from the field, including 7-from-8 on two-point attempts, dominating the interior against Japan's defense. Her six offensive rebounds helped Australia control second-chance opportunities throughout the contest.

Australia's balanced scoring attack featured five players with eight or more points. Alex Wilson contributed 14 points despite struggling from the free-throw line (4-from-10), while Stephanie Reid added 13 points including three triples. Zitina Aokuso provided a spark off the bench with 11 points and eight rebounds in just 17 minutes.

The Opals' defense forced 17 Japanese turnovers while committing just nine of their own, creating a significant advantage in possession. Australia's dominance on the offensive glass was also crucial, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds compared to Japan's 13. This rebounding edge allowed Australia to attempt 12 more field goals than their opponents, helping overcome Japan's slightly better shooting percentage (44.8% to 42.9%).

‍FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025 final standings:‍

1. Australia

2. Japan

3. China

4. Korea

5. New Zealand

6. Philippines

7. Lebanon

8. Indonesia