DONGGUAN (China) - It's gold or bust for Cathay Life now that they're set to embark on yet another journey toward continental supremacy in the upcoming FIBA Women's Basketball League Asia (WBL Asia) 2025.
Qualifying path
Chinese Taipei's very own booked another ticket to the most prestigious club competition among women's teams in Asia following a successful title defense in the 2025 Women's Super Basketball League (WSBL).
They actually finished second in the regular season with a 19-5 record and even bowed to Taiyuan Textile in Game 1 of the Finals, but experience proved to be the difference as they took the next three to annex the crown.
Cayla George - yes, the same player who helped Australia rule the recent FIBA Women's Asia Cup - took Finals MVP honors for the second time in a row for helping the organization extend its dominion in the league.
The Tigers have now won their 15th straight WSBL title, and their 19th overall. No doubt that they want to make it 20 and more in the coming years, and add the WBL Asia crown to a very rich collection.
WBL Asia history
Well, Cathay Life went close to doing so during the league's 2024 inaugurals, but ultimately settled for a silver-medal finish behind eventual champions Sichuan Yuanda Meile, who won it all via four-game sweep.
The Pandas did crush their hopes as the virtual championship game ended in lopsided fashion - an 85-65 beatdown powered by the fame troika of eventual MVP Han Xu, Wang Siyu, and Li Meng.
Still, there's no denying that securing a place in the podium remains an achievement in itself, given also the fact that the Tigers of Coach Cheng Hui-Yun accomplished as much in the very first edition of WBL Asia.
Players to watch
Some of last year's key cogs are expected to lead the way once more, one of which is rising star Hsiao Yu Wen who made history by scoring WBL Asia's first basket in their eventual win over the Fujitsu Red Wave.
Once a standout of the Chinese Taipei youth team, the 20-year-old finished as one of the 2024 games' top players with per-game averages of 12.3 points on 44.1-percent shooting, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.
But of course, there remains the veteran smarts provided by Huang Ling-Chuan and Han Ya-En. The two were key in the WSBL 2025 title clincher as they finished with 15 and 11 points, respectively, in the 72-63 victory.
And adding even more intrigue to this Cathay Life team fans and pundits are going to see in the September 23-28 festivities is the addition of Canadian center Emily Potter, herself a veteran of the FIBA EuroCup Women.
The Tigers are situated in Group A with WCBA champions and hosts Dongguan New Century and the debuting Ulaanbaatar Amazons of Mongolia. To know more about their WBL Asia 2025 campaign, click here.
FIBA