BANGKOK (Thailand) - The FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 Division B is less than a week away.

There are plenty of intriguing storylines to follow whether it is teams hoping to make it back to Division A, teams looking to make it there for the first time, and a team set to make their debut. That’s why each of the teams are expected to put together strong squads for the tournament in Bangkok.

Here are some players to watch in the upcoming games, as the team battle for promotion to Division A!

Final rosters will be confirmed following the technical meetings that take place before the start of the competition.

Kim Pierre-Louis (INA)

“Kim Possible” will be the undisputed superstar of this Women’s Asia Cup Division B in Bangkok. After seeing her productivity in Amman two years ago, how else could you think otherwise?

Pierre-Louis led all players in total points (96) and was third in points per game (19.2). She was second in field-goal shooting (50 percent), despite nearly taking the most attempts per game (16.0). She dominated the boards, leading the competition as the only player to average double-digit rebounds (10.4 per contest). The center was also tied for second for most blocks in total as well (5), while also being top 3 in steals per game (2.0).

Indonesia had an inspiring run in 2021 and with Kim back, it doesn’t seem farfetched to peg them as one of the favorites.

Negin Rasoulipour Khameneh (IRI)

Iran have some veterans running it back in Division B this year, but it will be interesting to see how much improvement Negin has made.

The 23-year-old was already a key piece of the team in Amman, averaging 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 21.7 minutes. However, it seems that she is now an even bigger focus point of the offense on the team.

She led the team with 18 points against the Philippines in a recent clash at the William Jones Cup, so we’ll wait and see if that continue when they arrive in Thailand.

Marya Al Hinn (JOR)

There could be a lot of moving pieces for Jordan from 2021 to 2021, but at the very least, they have Al Hinn back in action.

The forward was second in scoring for the team (12.5 points per game), highlighted by a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double against Kazakhstan in the Semi-Finals.

While the championship game didn’t end as they would have wanted it to, they did end up only one win away from gaining promotion. Can Al Hinn step up her game just a bit this year - with a relatively younger squad - to complete the task?

Tamara Kuzmina (KAZ)

Tamara has clearly been one of Kazakhstan’s best players for more than a decade. This will be her 6th appearance in the Women’s Asia Cup where she has averaged 12.1 points per game since her debut in 2009.

She’s already scored 304 points in Women’s Asia Cups and certainly has the skills to add on a lot more. Kuzmina was not a part of the team when the competition was last played in Thailand (2013), but could that be a sign that she’s the key factor in getting them back to Division A?

Yap Fook Yee (MAS)

We’ve already shed some light on how important Pang Hui Pin will be for Malaysia. Just as important a figure on this team is the captain, Yap Fook Yee.

Yap, like Pang, was on the national team in 2015 when they last played in the Women’s Asia Cup. In China, she was solid and averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per contest.

The forward still produces at a high-level and was the hero for Malaysia when they defeated host Cambodia at the recent South East Asia (SEA) Games by recording 35 points on 7 three-pointers and 10 rebounds.

Ariuntsetseg Bat-Erdene (MGL)

If you are looking for a reference point for a player to watch from a national team that will only be making their debut, one of the easiest ways is to seek out the MVP of the domestic league.

And that’s exactly what Bat-Erdene achieved with the Ulaanbaatar Amazons in the League this past season. Moreover, Bat-Erdene won the title with the Amazons along with many of her teammates that are representing the nation in Thailand.

“Ariuka” is also one of the best 3x3 players in the world, ranking at 74th among all players in the women’s category.

Herath Mudiyanselage Ekanayake (SRI)

Ekanayake has played in three Women’s Asia Cup so far, highlighted by an outing in 2015 where she averaged 10.4 points per game.

She’s playing a veteran leadership role this time around as the captain and the team will need that as they are looking to end a lengthy losing streak in the competition.

Rattiyakorn Udomsuk (THA)

Thailand have no players returning from the last time they played in the Women’s Asia Cup which was in 2015. It will be a clean slate for the players from the host nation to make some noise.

The main player to keep your eyes on is Rattiyakorn Udomsuk, who has starred for Thailand’s youth teams in the past. In 2015, she was on the U16 Women’s Asian Championship team and averaged 18.0 points, and 8.7 rebounds per contest. A year later, she played at the U18 Women’s Asian Championship and averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

She’s continued the be a star in local competitions as well, notably the TOA - NSDF Women’s Thailand Basketball Championship 2022 where she led all players in scoring (23.3 points per game) and rebounds (11.0 rebounds per game).

FIBA