Singapore, March 30, 2025 – Truong Thao My’s tears flowed as an ankle injury forced her out of the game, contributing to Vietnam’s 17-15 reverse defeat to top-seeded China in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup. With 7 minutes and 25 seconds on the clock, Vietnam led 13-12. Thao My, moving from beyond the arc, slipped and twisted her right ankle. Per 3×3 rules, substitutions can only occur when the ball is out of play. Limping for nearly 30 seconds, she soldiered on, but China capitalized on the advantage, sinking a two-pointer to take the lead.
From the bench, Thao My clutched her ankle with one hand, unlaced her shoe with the other, and sobbed uncontrollably. As medics attended to her, she buried her face in her hands, occasionally covering it with her jersey. Her absence swung the momentum, allowing China to edge out Vietnam 17-15. In the final 30 seconds, Truong Thao Vy had two open two-point attempts, but China’s tight defense thwarted both.
Entering the match at Singapore’s National Stadium complex on March 30, Vietnam were underdogs against the title favorites. The quartet—Truong Thao My (1.75m), Truong Thao Vy (1.73m), Nguyen Thi Tieu Duy (1.74m), and Bui Thu Hang (1.73m)—faced China’s taller lineup: Hu Duoling (1.77m), Li Wenxia (1.82m), Li Yuyan (1.85m), and Zhou Mengyun (1.85m). Yet, Vietnam surged ahead, leading 9-5 at one point and 13-12 before Thao My’s injury. Thao My nailed two of four shots from beyond the arc, while twin sister Thao Vy led with 11 points, excelling in drives. The tide turned with Thao My sidelined.
Elsewhere in the women’s quarterfinals, Thailand fell 13-21 to Australia, while the Philippines beat Mongolia 19-15, advancing as Southeast Asia’s lone semifinalist against Japan. Reaching the quarterfinals marks Vietnam’s best-ever showing at the 3×3 Asia Cup. In their debut, the women’s team was seeded 19th, the men 20th.
Before the quarters, the women topped Preliminary Group C, defeating Iran 19-16, Maldives 21-8, and Kazakhstan 22-12. In Main Group C, a 21-10 win over host Singapore secured their spot, despite a 10-17 loss to Japan. The men’s team squeezed through Preliminary Group D, beating New Caledonia 21-11 and Thailand 21-15, though losing 16-17 to Turkmenistan. In Main Group D, they fought but fell 15-21 to New Zealand and 16-21 to Qatar.
The 2025 FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, held in Singapore from March 26-30, is the eighth edition since 2013. Australia dominates the men’s event with four titles (2018, 2019, 2022, 2024), followed by Mongolia (2017, 2023) and Qatar (2013). In the women’s, Australia leads with four (2017, 2019, 2023, 2024), trailed by India (2013), New Zealand (2018), and China (2022).
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