The 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup kicked off yesterday in Shenzhen, pitting the best women’s basketball teams from across Asia, Oceania and part of the Middle East against each other in a prestigious eight-day tournament.
Sunday saw reigning champions China thrash Indonesia 110-59, Australia annihilate the Philippines 115-39, and Japan beat Lebanon in a more closely fought 72-68.
Today, New Zealand faces off against South Korea, while Lebanon will play Australia and the Philippines goes up against Japan.
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This is China’s fourth time hosting the biennial event, which was first held 1965 in Seoul. A total of 8 Division A teams are participating this year, split into two groups: China, New Zealand, Korea and Indonesia in Group A; Japan, Australia, Philippines and Lebanon in Group B.
Division B of the tournament comprises Chinese Taipei, the Cook Islands, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tahiti and Thailand. The winning team of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup will earn a spot at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Germany.
China beat Japan by just two points in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, putting it on par with South Korea as the nation to have won the most gold medals across the tournament’s history (12 each).
