SHENZHEN (China) - For Indonesia’s women’s basketball team, the step up to Division A at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025 was both a challenge and a milestone. At the heart of this historic journey stood Kim Pierre-Louis, a seasoned center who played in her third Asia Cup and anchored Indonesia’s frontcourt among Asia’s elite.
Having helped Indonesia secure promotion by winning Division B two years ago, Kim approached the tournament with pride and determination.
"It felt really good to be here. We had a really good tournament two years ago in the FIBA Asia Cup Division B. Winning it was a historical win for us. It was huge. It was like, okay, now what’s next? Now we've played in Division A. We definitely felt like we belonged and showed what we had," Kim said.
Despite Indonesia's facing fierce competition and finishing without a win, Kim’s individual performances stood out. Averaging 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds over four games, she was Indonesia’s main offensive force and defensive pillar. Her experience and leadership were instrumental in guiding a relatively young squad through this challenging campaign.
Coach Andrie Ekayana Satya Santosa highlighted Kim’s key role: "Kim was very important to us. She helped us in scoring, and in defense, we focused on team defense to save her energy. Going forward, I hope she can keep playing with us and helping us improve."
Kim’s influence extended beyond statistics. As one of the longest-tenured players, she acted as mentor and motivator, helping prepare the next generation for continued battles on the continental stage.
Her perspective on Indonesia’s basketball journey, especially from the historic Division B win to the grueling tests in Division A, has given her very unique insight.
"We knew we were up against some pretty powerful teams," Kim said looking back, "but we focused on ourselves and what we needed to do on defense. We did our best to try to get a win or two."
While relegation back to Division B is a setback, Kim Pierre-Louis’s steady leadership and commitment offer hope. Her dedication and poise set the foundation for Indonesia’s future, showing that the journey toward sustained success on Asia’s biggest stage is a marathon, not a sprint. As the team will regroup and rebuild, Kim remains a beacon of resilience and ambition for Indonesian women’s basketball.
FIBA