Women's Basketball Signs Arisa Ihara for 2026-2027

RICHMOND, Va. — The University of Richmond women's basketball team has signed Arisa Ihara, a 6-foot guard/forward from Meerbusch, Germany, Head Coach Alisa Kresge announced Thursday. Ihara, who played for Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido and Osterather TV, will join the Spiders for the 2026-27 season and becomes the final addition to Richmond's incoming signing class.

Ihara arrives in Richmond with extensive international experience, having competed with both the German and Japanese Youth National Team programs. She spent one year with the German Youth National Team at the U15 and U16 levels before spending three years with the Japanese Youth National Team at the U17 and U18 levels.

"Arisa is an athletic two-way player with a high motor, an understanding of the game and comes with valuable international experience," Kresge said. "Her versatility, length and ability to play multiple positions make her a valuable addition on both ends of the floor. We are excited to add Arisa to our program."

Ihara represented Japan at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in León, Mexico and also played with the Japanese team at the China-South Korea-Japan Youth Sports Exchange Tournament.

At the high school level, Ihara competed for Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido, where she led her team to three consecutive appearances in the Japanese national summer and winter tournaments. She helped guide the program to a second-place finish at the 2025 Japanese summer tournament, also known as Interhigh, in just the third year after the program was established. Ihara was voted to the tournament's Best Five after averaging 23.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks.

Ihara also led Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido to its first appearance in the Nissin Top League in 2025, a league featuring the top eight teams in Japan. She earned Best Five honors in the league after averaging 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks.

In addition, Ihara helped her team capture consecutive championships in the Hokkaido prefectural summer and winter championships, earning Best Five and tournament MVP honors multiple times. She has also competed for Osterather TV in Germany.

Arisa Ihara – Meerbusch, Germany - Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido/Osterather TV

• 6-foot guard/forward from Meerbusch, Germany
• Played for Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido in Japan and Osterather TV in Germany
• Spent one year with the German Youth National Team at the U15 and U16 level.
• Spent three years with the Japanese Youth National Team at the U17 and U18 levels
• Played with Japan at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in Leon, Mexico
• Played with Japan at the China-South Korea-Japan Youth Sports Exchange Tournament
• Led Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido to three consecutive appearances in the Japanese national summer and winter tournaments
• Finished third in scoring, seventh in rebounding, tied for eighth in steals and tied for 10th in blocks in the U18 Nissin Foods Top League
• Helped lead Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido to a second-place finish at the 2025 Japanese summer tournament, also known as Interhigh
• Selected to the Best Five of the 2025 Interhigh tournament
• Averaged 23.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks
• Led Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido to its first appearance in the U18 Nissin Foods Top League in 2025
• Selected to the Best Five of the U18 Nissin Foods Top League
• Averaged 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks
• Helped lead Japan Aviation High School Hokkaido to consecutive championships in the Hokkaido prefectural summer and winter championships
• Earned Best Five and tournament MVP honors multiple times

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