Madison Ryan and Isabel Smith have been named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup. The honours come after the Gems won a third straight title with five wins from five games.
A PERFECT CAMPAIGN
Gems opened the tournament with a 102-47 win over the Philippines and followed it with a 99-34 win over New Zealand. A 92-56 win over Korea completed an unbeaten group phase.
The Gems then beat China 78-59 in the Semi-Final and edged Japan 83-82 in the Final, where Ryan hit the winning jumper with one second left. Australia averaged 90.8 points per game and conceded 55.6, a winning margin of 35.2 points per game.
MADISON RYAN: A FORCE ON BOTH ENDS
Ryan was Australia’s best player in the pressure moments, and the numbers back that up. She averaged 17.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and shot 68.6% from the field, including 74.4% inside the arc and 50% from three.
She grabbed 47 rebounds across the five games, 13 of them offensive, and her average efficiency rating of 25.2 was well ahead of the rest of the field. Her finish in the Final capped the tournament: 17 points, 17 rebounds and a game-winner that sealed the three-peat.
ISABEL SMITH: EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE
Smith gave the Gems a steady scoring option throughout. She averaged 16.8 points per game on 62.7% shooting from the field, and was just as sharp from outside and at the line, hitting 42.9% from three and 85% of her free throws.
She also contributed as a playmaker, averaging 2.8 assists per game, and scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the Final. Across the tournament, she scored 84 points across five games.
A THREE-PEAT TO REMEMBER
Ryan and Smith’s All-Star Five selections reflect a squad that was dominant through the group phase and showed composure when the Final went to the wire. The Gems have now won the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup title three times in a row.
