Five-foot-four, five-foot-three, five-foot-eight! These are not just the heights of the players but also the culmination of Japan’s best in the Women’s Basketball team. Despite height being considered a somewhat important factor in basketball, these women players beat the odds for their tall competitors. Japan is one of only two countries that have ever beaten Team USA—in 1976. The Akatsuki Five are back to play for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In this upcoming Olympics 2024, Team USA vs Team Japan face each other in the first matchup in France. While Team USA is trying to continue its storied dominance, players from Japan look to break new ground. Rui Machida, Mai Yamamoto, Saki Hayashi, Naho Miyoshi, and Evelyn Mawuli are standouts on their merit, so the Akatsuki Five are more than primed to leave their mark on the international stage. Let’s take a look at the height of these hoopers before their game against the USA.

Japan’s shortest women hoopers

Rui Machida, standing at 5’4″, is known for her incredible ability to get the ball to her teammates. She holds the record for most assists in an Olympic game with a total of 18. She did so in the semifinal round at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Japan defeated France to win the silver medal.

At the age of 31, Machida is one of Japan’s most accomplished players, with three Asia Cup gold medals and an Olympic silver. In 2022, she became the fourth Japanese athlete to play in the WNBA, representing the Washington Mystics. Though barely 5’4″ in height, Machida is a difference maker in terms of her pace control and accurate passes.

Coupled with Machida’s experience is that of 24-year-old rising star Mai Yamamoto. Standing at 5’5″ tall, she is known for her sheer speed and accuracy around the court which makes her an undeniable asset for her team. She had helped Japan’s Under-23 team win the 2019 3X3 World Cup before playing a key role in the fifth-placed finish in 3X3 at Tokyo.

During the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Sopron, Hungary, Yamamoto averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, along with a 62% field goal percentage. Additionally, Mai Yamamoto is known for her defensive skills.

Moving on, Saki Hayashi, standing at 5’8″ tall, possesses extreme proficiency in three-point shooting. In this regard, she represents a very important offensive tool for Japan’s women’s basketball team. In another game against France in the Tokyo Olympics, she attempted 3-5 3-pointers and contributed a total of 12 points.

Another player on the list, standing at 5’11”, Evelyn Mawuli is one of the tallest players in Japan. She can play inside and out, which makes her a great weapon for Japan. For Mawuli, making the leap from the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup into the Olympics underlines her adaptability and skill. With just a few hours for the thrilling game to begin, both teams would be playing to outclass the other.

Looking forward to Paris 2024

The women’s basketball team of Japan took the silver medal in Tokyo 2021, becoming the first Asian country to win an Olympic medal in 28 years. As hosts, they defied expectations and put Asian basketball on the global map. Now, they’re gunning to eclipse their legacy at the Paris Olympics. Japan is one of two countries that have beaten Team USA in Olympic history in 1976.

Japan’s women’s basketball team gears up to face one of the biggest challenges at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Team USA. Known for their domination of international basketball, Team USA has a few WNBA veterans who will stop at nothing to keep that winning streak alive. Having captured gold in each of the last seven Olympics, Japan is one of their fiercest rivals.

Japan, which is currently ranked 9th in the world, holds supremacy in Asia. Proof of that is they are a 6x gold medalist in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. The most recent one came just 1 year after their Olympic heroics. In the 2022 FIBA World Cup, though, they did not live up to expectations and finished 9th.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us in the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.