For its first two editions, the Women’s Basketball League Asia stayed in China. Sichuan hosted in 2024 and Dongguan in 2025, and both times the home team lifted the trophy: Sichuan Yuanda Meile first, then Dongguan New Century.
On Thursday, August 27, 2026, the FIBA Regional Office-Asia announced that the 2026 tournament would be held in Bengaluru, India, from October 20 to 25. It was the first time FIBA’s flagship competition for women’s club teams in Asia would be played outside China. It was also the first FIBA Asia-level club competition ever hosted by an Indian city.
Six teams, one wild card
The field was made up of the national league champions of China, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei, plus India’s champions and a wild card from the Philippines.
- Sichuan Yuanda Meile, WCBA champions, going for a third straight title for a Chinese team
- Denso Iris, champions of Japan’s WJBL
- KB Stars, from Korea’s WKBL
- Cathay Life Tigers, from Chinese Taipei’s WSBL, the only club in the league’s history to play in a third consecutive WBLA
- Indian Railways, representing the hosts
- Akari Sparks of the Philippines, the wild-card pick
Groupings and the game schedule were to be announced later.
A city with form
Bengaluru was not a new name to FIBA Asia. The southern Indian city hosted the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2017 and 2019, the FIBA Women’s U16 Asia Cup in 2017, and the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup in 2018 and 2022. It also staged the then FIBA Asia U18 Championship in 2004. The FIBA Asia General Assembly met there in 2019, and the Mid-Term General Assembly followed in 2025.
The Chinese streak did not survive the move. Denso Iris beat Sichuan in the final to end the run of two straight titles for Chinese teams.
