DONGGUAN (China) - China's hopes of keeping their throne as queens of the Women's Basketball League Asia (WBL Asia) rest on Dongguan New Century as the club will represent the country in the 2025 competitions.
Qualifying Path
The Vermilion Birds earned the right to do so after conquering the 2024-25 Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) by beating none other than Sichuan Yuanda Meile, 3-1, in the best-of-5 Final.
It was the organization's second-ever league championship and making it all the more gratifying for each and everyone of them was the fact that they accomplished as much by spoiling the Pandas' 'three-peat' bid.
By doing so, they effectively took their foes' place as the nation's flag-bearer in the most prestigious women's ball club competition in the continent as SC Yuanda fulfilled that role in the WBL Asia inaugurals last year.
Not only did they rep the flag and the league but the squad went on to win the whole thing by way of a mighty four-game sweep of the tilt, with eventual Tournament MVP Han Xu showing the way.
Can Dongguan replicate that feat?
Team history
Taking a look at their history, what we could be certain of is that they'd be out there to compete. Founded in 1954 as the Guangdong women's basketball team, the team has authored success in the contests it's in.
One of which was in the Chinese National Games back in 2017, which saw the squad from from behind to eventually snatch the women's hoops gold medal away from erstwhile defending champions PLA.
But arguably their biggest achievement happened when they nabbed their breakthrough WCBA championship in 2019 - that, after being rebranded to Dongguan Vermilion Birds Women's Basketball in that same year.
It took them six years to bring home another tiara but it's better late than never, as they say, and the squad is surely ready for more now that they're set to embark on a new journey ahead - in the WBL Asia, that is.
Players to watch
Yang Shuyu is expected to banner Dongguan especially after the 23-year-old starred in their WCBA title run last April, where she was bestowed Finals MVP honors after averaging 15.3 points in the series.
Then there's also her Team China teammate Yang Liwei, someone she has shared a lot of Ws at home and abroad that included a championship in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup back in 2023 in Sydney, Australia.
Not to be forgotten, of course, is 29-year-old power forward Huang Sijing, who did double duties in the 2024-25 season as she served as head coach and as a player of the Vermilion Birds at the same time.
Dongguan New Century are situated in Group A of the WBL Asia 2025 with 2024 runners-up Cathay Life and the debuting Ulaanbaatar Amazons. To know about their complete schedule, click here.
FIBA