CHENGDU (China) - Four teams will be pioneering the much-anticipated Women's Basketball League Asia (WBL Asia) set later this month.
One of them will be the Sichuan Yuanda Meile Basketball Club, which, as early as now, are seen as a favorite - and not just because of homecourt advantage. Read more below to learn more about the squad!
History
The Sichuan women's basketball team has long been in existence, although it was only in October of 2019 when it became the Sichuan Yuanda Meile Basketball Club after the Sichuan Yuanda Group Co., Ltd. officially took over the ball club.
Emblem
Path to FIBA WBL Asia
Years after that major development, Sichuan finally achieved success in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association by winning the league crown in back-to-back fashion.
The most of recent of which was in the 2023-24 season. There, the Pandas beat the Inner Mongolia Rural Credit Union - the 2021 and 2022 champions - in the best-of-five Finals that went the distance.
That championship run would be their ticket to the inaugural WBL Asia, and the squad, needless to say, is aiming to carry over its WCBA success to the new league, with the latter set to be played in their very own stomping grounds.
Players to watch
The squad features a bevy of Chinese national team players - from the trio of Xu Han, Meng Li, and Siyu Wang; to more seasoned ones like Song Gao as well as Weina Jin. Jin is actually one of their latest signings in this offseason.
These five have been to countless battles in the global stage and have won, too. The most recent of which was in 2023, where they all helped Team China to a sweep of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup to give the country its 12th title in the competition.
For sure, they want to be called as the first-ever WBL Asia champions, too.
FIBA