When playing for the Red and Blue, Penn women’s basketball sophomore guard Sarah Miller has shined in the spotlight. It was no different when Miller donned the red and white to play for Akatsuki Japan, Japan’s national women’s basketball team.
In the first two games of the Aichi Cup, Miller continued to run the show, helping lead the Japanese women’s basketball team to a victory over Chinese Taipei 95-42, with 12 points coming from beyond the arc. This performance was nothing new for Miller, who averaged 5.5 points with a 35.9 shooting percentage from the three-point line during a phenomenal freshman year at Penn. Despite finding herself across the world, Miller doesn’t believe much has changed about her style or her role.
At Penn, Miller’s basketball career quickly gained traction as she started in 11 of the 28 games, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. For Miller, it’s been a long-standing dream to get the opportunity to represent Japan and play at the highest level on the Japan national team. That opportunity came to fruition when Miller’s performance caught the attention of the team and Akatsuki Japan head coach Corey Gaines.
“I would say I was really lucky. There’s a Japanese basketball player who plays for the [Memphis] Grizzlies, Kawamura Yuki, and he stumbled upon my Instagram. He showed coach Corey some clips, and then coach Corey reached out to me, and then we [talked],” Miller said.
Joining a new team — especially one that operates very differently in playing style — can be quite challenging. While American basketball tends to lean on a player’s height and strength to drive into the paint, Japanese basketball emphasizes quick attacks and footwork.
Miller, who played as a guard for Penn, felt she kept her role despite the shift to less-defined positions.
“On the [Japanese] team, either [your height] is small or you’re really big. And so with that, it’s more positionless than what it is at Penn. I feel like that’s just the way that Japanese people have to play just because of their height disadvantage.” Miller said. “Here ... my listed position is a shooting guard, and so I try to take the role to [confidently] take open shots … and create opportunities for my teammates as well.”
Jet lag and the new playing style didn’t stop Miller, though.
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Immediately after her classes ended, Miller boarded a flight to Japan and played in the team’s training camp the very next day. Joining a 25-person roster as a new player was a challenging adjustment, especially since many of her teammates had already played extensively together — some even at the national level in the Women’s Japan Basketball League or internationally for Japan at the Olympics. But Miller quickly found a new home on the team alongside professional players like Makita Kata through Gaines.
Gaines, a former head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, previously played five seasons in the NBA before being appointed head coach of Akatsuki Japan in January 2025.
Gaines, like Penn women’s basketball coach Mike McLaughlin, prioritized three-point shots and footwork, which were Miller’s strengths. Additionally, with Akatsuki Japan’s first few games serving as exhibitions, there was more leeway for coach Gaines to experiment and find what worked for the team. At Penn, though, the stakes tended to be higher, with every game counting for team records and postseason stats. As a whole, Miller felt Gaines’s style fit her play and the nature of the team.
“[Gaines’ style] is very fast paced. He really is big on the shooting aspect of it as well. And I think that helps with the style that I've shown at Penn, and also what he saw in me with shooting,” Miller said. “It's more positionless than it is at Penn with coach McLaughlin's way of playing. And I feel like in both respective ways, they’re both beneficial and helpful in a team’s success. With what pieces each coach has, they are using it differently.”
Gaines’s fast-paced style, coupled with Miller’s experience on courts around the world, was put to the test in two games against Chinese Taipei on June 7 and 8th. On both days, Japan was victorious.
Miller’s first game for Japan was also Gaines’ first — and both set the bar high. The 95-42 victory for Gaines saw 18 three-pointers out of 43, with Miller leading the team in scoring with 12 points. The second game was no different, with Japan’s 89-45 victory a result of 32 points off 30 turnovers, a testament to the team’s strong defense.
Despite her recent success, the Penn star remains hungry for more. Miller’s ultimate goal is to play professionally, a dream she’s held since high school. With her international experience, she hopes to thrive and excel at the next level. Beyond turning pro, the opportunity to represent Japan in the coming years — potentially even at the Olympics — adds another layer of motivation.
For now, Miller is taking things one step at a time, with her team set to play against China on June 18 and again on June 20.
“Although this is like a really good first step. I’m not fully sure where my goal is or where I want to be. I think there’s still room and improvement for me to grow as a player and as an athlete,” Miller said. “I want to be able to make the team every year until the Olympics and so on.”
