SHENZHEN (China) - Like any other young hooper, Maxine Sutisna is shooting for the stars as she envisions the kind of career she wants to have in the near future.
"I hope I can represent the Indonesian senior national team and play professionally in the US, or maybe in women's leagues in Europe or Asia," offered the 17-year-old.
But those dreams she's aspiring for aren't for herself alone. Sutisna wants to have a hand in furthering the growth of Indonesian basketball as a whole and for her, the realization of her goals would also mean a win for the sport in her motherland.
"Personally, I would like to contribute to Indonesia basketball through my experience, education and knowledge," said the 1.75 M (5'9") winger from Jakarta.
And this early, she's definitely been doing her part. Sutisna has been in the United States playing for Archbishop Riordan High School (ARHS), and she has received offers from NCAA D1 schools Cal State Fullerton and Portland State University.
"It is an honor and privilege," she said. "I'm very happy that all the hard work I have done and the way I approach the game is being recognized."
Simply the fact that she's garnering such attention from revered programs is already a triumph per se for somebody who only began playing competitively not so long ago.
Her name may ring a bell for some and that's because she had already represented Indonesia in Division B of the 2022 FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship and in Division A of the U18 Women's Asian Championship in that same year.
She was just 15 back then, already playing for the national team two years after first playing organized ball - although hoops has long been part of their household.
"I started playing at the age of 13," she recalled. "Since I was a small kid, I was following my parents to the basketball court. Hoops is the sport that I love, but I enjoyed other sports such as running, swimming and cycling as well."
Sooner, her stock would rise. She turned heads in local high school tournaments with SMAN 70 Jakarta, most notably when she won Most Valuable Player honors in the DBL Academy Camp last year. Later on, she'd see herself playing overseas.
With Proform Basketball Academy, Sutisna would experience playing in the US as she was part of a team that competed in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in Las Vegas, and that proved to be her ticket en route to where she is right now.
ARHS came calling, and earlier this year, she decided to take her talents there in pursuit, of course, of her dream of making it big in basketball.
"It all began when I was selected by a local high school tournament to a training camp in the US, and then I joined a local US club to play in AAU games. There, I got scouted by Archbishop Riordan to become their player," she recalled.
It's been a ride she's relishing a lot. "It has been a very good experience," said Sutisna, who's now based in San Francisco, California.
"The level of competition is higher with lots of good players, skills and size. It makes me want to always improve and never back down - nor give up."
Fast forward to now and she's making waves in the States, yet Indonesia remains so dear to her heart. That's why when Timnas came knocking on her door yet again, she didn't hesitate to say yes and suit up in the upcoming FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup.
Given her growing experience, Sutisna is easily seen to be taking up the leadership mantle of this crew. But like her peers, she's looking at the June 24-30 competitions as an opportunity to become a sponge and absorb every lesson they could get.
"As a player and individual, I take every occasion as a learning opportunity -- to grow and become a better player and individual, and so I will embrace it and enjoy the journey and learn from it," she said.
It's an opportunity, too, for the program to see where they are although she's always been optimistic of their capabilities particularly in this tournament, where the Indonesians are in Group B together with China, Japan, and New Zealand.
"I really think Indonesia is able to compete in the Asia Cup with the combination of the right players, strategy and enough time to play together," she said.
After all, Sutisna is all about pushing and contributing to the growth of basketball domestically, and there's no better way to test as much, especially herself, than in taking part in international competitions like FIBA youth events.
"It gives me the experience to play in another level of competition, and it helps me broaden my horizons and continuously improve my basketball skills and IQ," she said.
FIBA