FIBA Women’s Basketball League Asia 2026: Sichuan, Denso Iris top groups to enter semifinals

Denso Iris defeated South Korea’s KB Stars to finish atop Group B and advance to the semifinals. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

With Indian Railways pushed into the classification matches, the final group matches of the FIBA Women’s Basketball League Asia at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Thursday witnessed hectic action as teams vied to finish in the top two in their respective groups and secure places in the knockouts.

Title contender Sichuan Yuanda Meile (China) outplayed Akari Sparks (Philippines) 94-73 to finish at the top in Group A, while Denso Iris (Japan) pulled off a hard-fought 80-65 win over KB Stars (South Korea) to top Group B.

On Saturday, Sichuan will take on Stars, while Cathay Life Tigers (Chinese Taipei) will meet Iris in the semifinals.

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It was far from an easy outing for the Japanese outfit. Every time Denso Iris built a handy lead, Stars fought back strongly, forcing turnovers and cutting the deficit to keep Denso on tenterhooks. The Korean side fought bravely until the final whistle, producing an impressive display in the third and fourth quarters.

Powered by the impressive performances of its two foreign imports—Sara Blicavs (22 points) and Chennedy Carter (21)—Sichuan had earlier outplayed wild-card entrant Akari Sparks 94-73 in a Group A contest, underlining its dominance. With two losses from as many matches, Sparks finished third and last in the group, while Tigers took second place to qualify for the semifinals.

Railways will take on Sparks in the fifth-place classification match on Saturday.

The Results:

Group A: Sichuan Yuanda Meile 94 (Sara Blicavs 22, Chennedy Carter 21, Song Gao 11, Yingying Su 11) bt Akari Sparks 73 (Saicha Patricia Grant-Allen 22, Stefanie Berberabe 12, Jhazmin Joson 11, Bre’Amber Shakira Scott 10).

Group B: Denso Iris 80 (Haruna Kasagi 20, Maki Takada 12) bt KB Stars 65 (Yunjeong Na 15, Sara Sakasi 12).