DONGGUAN (China) - It seems like only yesterday that the FIBA Women's Basketball League Asia (WBL Asia) opened shop, ushering in a new era of women's club competition in this continent.
Now, about a year later, the tilt is all set to roll with its second season, and fans and pundits alike are surely curious about what's in store in the fast-approaching tourney. So, here's everything you need to know.
What is the FIBA WBL Asia?
The WBL was first established in the Americas and that inspired the idea of bringing the league to this part of the world. The WBL Asia was green-lit during the first Asia Board meeting of the 2023-2027 cycle.
Set annually, the WBL Asia aligns with FIBA’s strategic priority for the current four-year working cycle, “Women in Basketball." This will play a key role in advancing the development of women’s basketball across Asia.
When and where will this year's edition take place?
The WBL Asia 2025 will be held in the city of Dongguan in China from September 23 to 28, with all games to be played at the Dongguan Sports Center. This marks the second time that the games will be held in China.
Which teams are playing?
A total of six teams will compete led by home team Dongguan New Century, who seized the 2024-25 Women's Chinese Basketball Association title after ousting Sichuan Yuanda Meile - last year's WBL Asia queens.
Also the newcomers are reigning Women's Korean Basketball League champions Busan BNK Sum, defending Women's The League winners Ulaanbaatar Amazons of Mongolia, and Al Ula Club from Saudi Arabia.
WSBL dynasty Cathay Life of Chinese Taipei and now reigning two-time WJBL titlists Fujitsu Red Wave are the returnees, both of which finished with the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the inaugurals.
What is the format?
The six have been divided into two groups according to the FIBA World Ranking for Women, presented by NIKE. Each club will compete against the others in a single round-robin format in the Group Phase on September 23-25.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout crossover Semi-Finals on September 27. The teams that finish third in their groups will play a classification game for the fifth position on the same date.
Winners of the Semi-Finals will play for the championship in the one-game Final on September 28. The losing sides, on the other hand, will compete in the Third-Place Game which will be held just before the title bout.
To know more, click here.
Where can we watch the games?
All games will be streamed live via FIBA's official YouTube channel. For the complete tournament schedule, click here.
FIBA