The Jx-Eneos Sunflowers are perhaps the most dominant sports team in Japan today.
They tamed the Toyota Antelopes 75-51 in Game 3 of the Women¡¯s Japan Basketball League Finals at Tokyo¡¯s Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 2 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.
They completed the season sweep, too.
The Sunflowers finished the 2016-17 campaign undefeated, including the postseason and annual single-elimination tournament All-Japan Championship in January. They went 27-0 in the regular season.
With another trophy, the Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture-based club captured the league title for a ninth straight season and 20th overall. They won both the league and All-Japan titles for the fourth consecutive year.
In Sunday¡¯s contest, captain Asami Yoshida and guard Saori Miyazaki led the game with 14 points. Yoshida, who was the point guard for Japan at last summer¡¯s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, had a game-high seven assists as well.
¡°This year, it¡¯s been our theme to play our own brand of ball no matter who we play against,¡± Yoshida, who was selected as playoff MVP, told at a post-series news conference. ¡°And we practiced everyday so we can play the same quality of basketball no matter who we are playing on the court.¡±
Ramu Tokashiki, the Sunflowers¡¯ biggest star who also plays for the WNBA¡¯s Seattle Storm, scored only six points but grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 3.
The 25-year-old center/forward, who led the league in field goal percentage (61.5) and blocked shots (2.3) this year, was named regular-season MVP for the fourth time (third straight year).
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