Akari-Rizal will represent the Philippines in the Women’s Basketball League Asia 2026 after the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League champions were awarded a wild card slot for the continental club competition.
Akari-Rizal earned its place in the WBLA after surviving the Batangas Bluefire-New Zealand Valkyries in an epic three-game championship series to claim the WMPBL crown last July.
The Sparks will join five other league champions in the six-team tournament, which will be held in Bengaluru, India, from October 20 to 25, the FIBA Regional Office-Asia confirmed Thursday.
Joining Akari in the field are Sichuan Yuanda Meile of China, Denso Iris of Japan, KB Stars of South Korea, Cathay Life Pacific of Chinese Taipei, and Indian Railways, the champions of India.
Sichuan, the reigning Women’s Chinese Basketball Association champion, will look to extend China’s dominance in the WBLA to three straight titles.
Denso Iris earned Japan’s spot as the Women’s Japan Basketball League champion, while Cheongju KB Stars, who have Fil-Am Lexi Pana in their lineup, won the Women’s Korean Basketball League and Cathay Life Pacific topped the Women’s Super Basketball League.
Cathay Life Pacific is the only team in this year’s field to have appeared in the previous two editions of the WBLA.
(C) WMPBL
The inaugural WBLA was held in Sichuan in 2024, with Sichuan Yuanda Meile winning the title, while Dongguan hosted the 2025 edition and saw Dongguan New Century emerge as champion.
Bengaluru has extensive experience hosting FIBA Asia competitions, particularly in the women’s game. The city staged 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 hosted the former FIBA Asia U18 Championship in 2004, as well as the FIBA Asia General Assembly in 2019 and the FIBA Asia Mid-Term General Assembly in 2025.
FIBA is expected to announce the WBLA 2026 groupings and full schedule at a later date.
