SEREMBAN (Malaysia) - The FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2026 - Division A is upon us, and eyes are surely on Group A as fans and observers alike are curious to see if a monumental upset could take place.
The favorite: Australia
That team many have been waiting to see fall are Australia, who have undeniably been the yardstick for others teams to emulate as they're coming into the tournament unbeaten since the 2022 edition in India.
After finishing 3rd in their debut in 2018, the Gems went on a tear in Bengaluru, sweeping all of their 5 games to win it all. They'd pull off a repeat in 2024 in China, capped by a 96-79 rout of the hosts in the Final.
They're in the midst of an 11-game winning streak, and the Aussies would want to keep on winning a bid to achieve a 'three-peat' - something that this event hasn't seen since China's reign of dominance from 2010 to 2018.
The threats: Korea, New Zealand
But of course, Team Australia are well aware that it won't be easy, given how big the target on their back has grown. And in Group A alone, they'd be going up against 2 teams they share some history with.
Since joining this tilt in 2018, the Gems have only lost twice thus far. Their first defeat was at the hands of Korea, a 63-62 decision in the Group Phase in Bengaluru although they got back during the Third-Place Game.
Soon, they're bound for another collision course, with the Koreans hungry to taste that winning feeling again against their Oceania counterparts as the latter have won their three previous encounters.
And speaking of Oceania, another squad that knows Australia so well are New Zealand. The Junior Tall Ferns, though, haven't won in the 16 games they've played one another, according to available FIBA records.
Needless to say, they would want to end that winless spell this year - and end the streak of their long-time regional rivals, which if they do would mean a significant turn for a team that's yet to win a medal.
The underdog: Philippines
We can't totally forget about the Philippines, though. But before being included in the discussion of who could potentially take down Australia, the Southeast Asian side would want to prove first that it belongs.
Because this would be the first time that they're competing in Division A, earning the promotion following a dominant 4-game sweep of the Division B tilt in China in 2024 - punctuated by a mauling of Lebanon.
To be drawn in a group led by the reigning 2-time champions, plus a team that's 1 of only 4 teams to ever win this contest, and a side hungry to break through, it is, needless to say, a tough spot for the Filipino dribblers.
Key matchup
Group A action will begin the 2026 games, with Australia opening their title defense bid against the Philippines at 11:30 local time, to be followed by Korea and New Zealand in yet another meeting between old foes.
These two have already played against each other thrice and all of that went in favor of the 7-time champions, the most recent a dominant 86-66 win in 2024 which enabled the latter to barge into the Semi-Finals.
Definitely, the Junior Tall Ferns would want to break through in this particular matchup, although this game could also be extra crucial down the road when determining the seeding for the Qualification to Semi-Finals.
Similar to the competition system of past editions, the teams finishing at No. 1 in Groups A and B will automatically qualify for the 'Final 4.' Teams finishing at 2nd and 3rd will then vie in the play-in to start the Final Phase.
FIBA