As the dust settled at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2025 in Singapore, thoughts of a formidable challenge began to take shape in the minds of Asian basketball fans—given Australia’s historical dominance of the event, could there be a hypothetical team formed from standout players of other nations that could handily dethrone the Gangurrus from their perch at the peak of 3×3 basketball within the region? 

The Concept

A carefully curated lineup of top talents from across Asia could provide the perfect counter to Australia’s combination of skill and brawn. However, the rules of this game can allow for only one player to be selected from each country, given that two other nations (China on the women’s side and Mongolia on the men’s) had previously knocked the Aussies off from the top spot all on their own. With this stipulation, the formation of this dream team becomes a puzzle, requiring a line-up of individual stars who could also complement one another on the court. This ‘United’ team consists of four male and four female stars, who would have a great shot at outsmarting and outplaying the formidable Australian squad.

The Dream Roster (Men)

1. Delgernyam Davaasambuu (Mongolia) – Perhaps a surprise pick from the gold medal-clinching Mongolian squad, Davaasambuu beat out his silky-smooth teammate, fan favourite Anand Ariunbold, to secure the first spot on the roster. Despite the exciting style and clutch heroics of ‘The Archer’, the big Mongolian’s hulking frame would likely deliver more consistent results against the physicality of the Australians. Davaasambuu is a force in the paint who can box out and play help defense with the best of them on one end, while finishing deftly with either hand and a soft touch from any spot remotely near the paint. 
2. Ryo Ozawa (Japan) – Of course, the ‘snub’ of Ariunbold creates a void for a sharp-shooting guard with the guts for the big moment. Another sniper who took down Australia steps into the role, with Ozawa having given Australia nightmares with the gravity of his deft perimeter stroke, combined with his timely playmaking. Having shot down powerhouses and reigning silver medallist Iran with an incredible 20-point performance built on his fearsome jumpshot, Ozawa capitalised on his reputation against Australia by forcing them to blitz the pick-and-roll and then delivering one beautiful pass after another. Against a talent like this, Australia can only pick their poison.
3. Yan Peng (China) – With the big and the guard spots firmly locked in, a lanky wing would be ideal to put pressure on the Australia’s line-up with aggressive drives to the hoop while providing versatile defense on both the interior and the perimeter. Although there are many candidates for the job, Yan Peng is an ideal pick who exemplifies the relentlessness necessary to earn both second-chance opportunities and trips to the charity stripe, a crucial weapon in the 3×3 game. He narrowly beats out other options such as the indefatigable Arvind Muthu Krishnan and his all-rounded compatriots Zhao Jiayi and Zhao Jiaren with his mix of strength, athleticism and sheer fearlessness.
4. Dominique Kelman-Poto (New Zealand) – To round out the group, the ‘United’ team calls on a true wildcard. Kelman-Poto became a hit with the Singaporean crowd in part time due to his flashy hairstyles and stylish tattoos, but make no mistake, the Kiwi can bring a fresh perspective to the roster with his play too. The one-time New Zealand Breakers forward is an interesting talent who can bring the element of mismatch-hunting to any situation, with his sheer size and strength but also his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive, facilitate and even shoot the rock. Perhaps most importantly, you can count on him to magnify his usual hustle and self-assured play against the Kiwis’ long-time rivals donned in green and gold. 

The Dream Roster (Women)

1. 1. Wang Lili (China) – Fellow Chinese star Zhang Zhiting would have taken the top spot in any other roster, with her 1.94m frame and her soft shooting touch from all over the court, but Wang’s dominance simply cannot be denied. Her ability to create pull-up shots for herself at any time and against any defender would have been enough to warrant a position on the team, but it was her defense that truly stood out when she led her country to the gold medal back in 2022. To date, the former MVP is perhaps the only player to have given the offensively-gifted Australian backcourt fits, with her unrelenting, fundamentally-perfect defensive manoeuvres and her inch-perfect positioning. During her team’s gold-medal run, she made it a long night for the usually-sublime Lauren Mansfield by denying her even the space to catch the ball, while also doing a number on fellow MVP Marena Whittle with her intensity on the ball.
   2. Kimberley Pierre-Louis (Indonesia) – The big forward was instrumental in Indonesia’s surprise podium finish in 2022, lifting her team to win after win with both her size and her skill. Despite a height and muscular build more reminiscent of the best low-post operators, Pierre-Louis displayed an impressive amount of finesse and touch as well, allowing her to dominate effectively both inside and outside the paint. With her feathery, almost-effortless jumper, defenders are forced to commit to her early and often, thus putting them at her mercy when she drove to the hoop. This inside-outside brilliance conjures up images of Australia’s Whittle, and can provide the best counterbalance to her equally-unguardable game.
   3. Rattiyakorn Udomsuk (Thailand) – This might have been an unexpected pick way back in 2023 when Udomsuk made her debut on Singaporean shores, but should no longer surprise any basketball fan who followed the three preceding editions of the event. ‘Junny’ has shown her mettle time and time again in not just the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, but also at other events such as the FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup and even our very own Jumpshot 3×3. With a slight frame that belies her toughness and isolation game, Thailand’s #29 is a prodigious scorer who can put points on the board against anyone, and who is a clutch performer to boot. Her two-point accuracy has few peers, opening up the floor for her patented stop-and-pop turnaround jumper, but she does not settle for the outside shot and frequently cuts backdoor and crashes the board for opportunities close to the basket as well.

• Kaylynne Truong (Vietnam) – A new face at the recent FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2025 but certainly not a new name to basketball fanatics all around the globe, the Gonzaga product and one-time Washington Mystics draftee is the wildcard on the women’s side. Although clearly a polar opposite from Kelman-Poto in frame, Truong brings the same ability to make plays for this line-up. Her ability to keep the ball on a string and to pull up for and make contested shots at any time with a dizzying array of moves more than make up for her modest stature, while her composure and self-confidence would be a real asset against the stingy, physical Australian defense, which has effectively demolished many lesser players before her. Besides her scoring, Kaylynne is a cerebral playmaker who can pick apart an overly-aggressive defense with her pinpoint passes, making her a valuable final member of the squad.

The Challenge Against Australia

As it stands, however, even these two squads with their depth of talent will have their hands full against Australia, as their historic prowess in 3×3 basketball is bolstered by savvy veterans who understand the nuances of the game, along with years of team chemistry, particularly on the women’s side. Australia plays with poise and precision, qualities that have earned them multiple championships. Even with these two dream teams, they will be at a disadvantage in terms of size and perhaps even experience. These hybrid teams will have to rely on efficiency, fit and intelligent play to leverage their unique skillsets and minimise mistakes, in order to produce a brand of basketball that can rival the structured play of the Australian squad.

In Conclusion

While the dream team concept remains merely a tantalising “what if” scenario, it reflects two things in particular – the sheer dominance of the Australian juggernauts, but also the growing talent and interest seen throughout the continent. Over the next few years, as Singapore continues to play host to a multitude of high-level 3×3 competitions, we look forward to seeing how players and teams from different nations can learn from the experience, and grow together in their quest to slay the giants.