Australia aim for unprecedented history as Division A begins

The Australian U16 women's basketball team, known as the Sapphires, will attempt to achieve an unprecedented fourth consecutive title at the 2025 FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup Division A, which begins on Monday at Karisma Arena in Seremban, Malaysia. A fourth straight championship would also break Australia's current tie with China, as both nations currently hold three gold medals each in the biennial tournament's history.

Australia enters the competition with a perfect record, having swept all 18 games during their three previous title runs. They will open their campaign against the Philippines, who are making their Division A debut after earning promotion by sweeping Division B in 2023. The match is scheduled for a local tip-off time of 11:30.

The tournament will feature a group phase from September 22-24, with four games played each day. The top team from each group will advance directly to the Semi-Finals. Traditional contenders China and Japan are among the teams seeking a quicker route to the Final Phase. China, which won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2015, has not medaled since Australia began its dominance in 2017, finishing sixth in 2023. Japan, the 2023 silver medalist, has been runner-up in six of the last seven editions, with their only championship coming in 2011.

Other teams aiming to challenge the established powers include Korea, which hopes to return to the Final after last appearing in 2011 and has won three bronze medals (most recently in 2022). New Zealand, which claimed bronze in 2023, and Chinese Taipei, which has been seeking its first medal since a bronze in the inaugural 2009 tournament, are also among the squads looking to make an impact in the competition's eighth edition.