BANGKOK (Thailand) - We’re about to tip things off in Bangkok, Thailand for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 Division B, so it’s high time to check out how the teams are stacked against each other.

We’ve gone through the players to watch. We’ve mapped out the teams that have made it to Division A in the past and teams that are looking to get there for the first time.

Now, let’s take a look at the Power Rankings for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup Division B.

8. Sri Lanka 

Let’s be real here for a moment. Sri Lanka have not won a game in the Women’s Asia Cup since 2001 and are on a 29-game losing streak.

It would certainly be inspirational for them to finally snap that streak, but the odds are not quite in their favor.

7. Iran 

This will only be Iran’s second appearance in a Women’s Asia Cup since the two-division format was applied after playing in 2021. They weren’t able to win a game, but they did only lose by single-digit margins in each contest.

Iran are coming into this competition ready to compete, coming off playing a series of tune-up games in Taipei. Even though they were unable to claim a victory, Iran had the opportunity to play games against quality teams in Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and the Philippines.

Now they just need to translate that preparation into wins in Bangkok.

6. Malaysia 

Maybe this is a bit too low for Malaysia. After all, they have two veterans in Pang Hui Pin and Yap Fook Yee who proved themselves as key pieces of the national team ever since they played in the Women’s Asia Cup 2015 Division B.

They are also coached by the highly experienced Tracy York, who coached Australia’s junior national teams in the past including the 2022 Sapphires that won U16 Women’s Asian Championship and finished 5th at the U17 Women’s World Cup.

Yeah, maybe this is a bit too low for Malaysia…

5. Mongolia 

If there is one team that might have the highest possibility of making this version Power Ranking look silly, it is Mongolia. After all, this is the first time ever that they are playing in a FIBA competition.

Players like Khulan Onolbaatar and Tserenlkham Munkhsaikhan who are Olympians with the FIBA 3x3 team and Ariuntsetseg Bat-Erdene are accomplished athletes and now they have the chance to continue proving so at this level.

4. Thailand 

This Thailand squad is a relatively young one. None of the players have experience playing at the Women’s Asia Cup and that might be something they will have to adjust to quickly. There are players like Rattiyakorn Udomsuk who have starred with the youth national teams at both U16 and U18 levels and they will be the force for the team here.

Nonetheless, Thailand are playing in Bangkok for this one and they have had success in the past in this competition when playing in the comfort of their home.

3. Kazakhstan 

They fell short in 2021 after losing in the Semi-Finals, but Kazakhstan are one of those teams that will always be solid.

Zalina Kurazova, who led the team in Efficiency, points, rebounds, and assists in 2021, is unfortunately missing this campaign due to an injury, but Kazakhstan will still have Tamara Kuzmina who will have more than enough experience to step up as the ace.

2. Jordan 

The 2021 run to the Final was a fun one in Amman. This time, however, they will be tested playing outside of their comfort zone at home. Natasha Cloud (16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists) was a huge part of their success during that campaign and they are hoping for something similar from Aisha Sheppard.

Replacing Cloud’s production will be difficult and that will be a storyline to follow through the competition.

Still, Jordan have Marya Al Hinn and Rasha Abdo returning after productive runs in 2021. Another interesting angle of the team set to compete in Bangkok is the injection of youngsters like Masa Alnoubani and Hiba Malkawi.

1. Indonesia 

Indonesia will have arguably the best player in the competition in Kim Pierre-Louis who has been playing with the national team for years. The team has been deep in preparation with each for a long time.

They are also high on confidence after winning a historic championship in the South East Asian (SEA) Games.

Their loss in Women’s Asia Cup 2021 Division B Semi-Finals was to Lebanon who are not in the picture, so it seems like everything is falling into place for Timnas Basket Putri.

*The power rankings are entirely subjective and are in no way a true and accurate ranking system. All comments are purely those of the author.

FIBA