【RECAP】3×3.EXE PREMIER 2025 PLAYOFFS – WOMEN / OSAKA

Welcome to 3×3.EXE Premier Japan — Women’s Series.

CT TIGERS.EXE Make History as First Non-Japanese Women’s Champions of 3×3.EXE Premier 2025

The 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Playoffs marked the grand finale of a season that showcased the rapid growth of women’s 3×3 basketball across Asia and the Pacific. Over six months of competition, elite teams from Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand battled through national circuits, setting the stage for the top six to meet in Osaka for one final weekend to decide the champion. With two teams from each nation, Japan’s disciplined tacticians, Thailand’s dynamic playmakers, and New Zealand’s rising challengers, the tournament brought together the best of three nations united by skill, pace, and resilience.

From the opening tip to the championship buzzer, the Osaka Playoffs embodied everything that defines the 3×3.EXE Premier identity: intensity, precision, and pride. Both CT TIGERS.EXE and SANJO BEATERS.EXE emerged from fierce pool battles to reach the final, representing two different basketball cultures built on the same commitment to compete. In the end, CT TIGERS.EXE’s balance of experience, defence, and star power prevailed, as Thailand’s number-two seed completed their remarkable run to make history, becoming the first non-Japanese team to win the 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s title.

POOL A

• UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE (1^st Japan) 620 EXE POINTS | 20 Wins – 6 Losses | 18.6 PPG
• CT TIGERS.EXE (2^nd Thailand) 320 EXE POINTS | 12 Wins – 4 Losses | 18.0 PPG
• DREAM.EXE (2^nd New Zealand) 260 EXE POINTS | 9 Wins – 3 Losses | 15.2 PPG

MOMENT THAT MATTERED

Thai Powerhouse CT TIGERS.EXE Advance to First-Ever 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Final

The opening women’s game of the 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Playoffs in Osaka delivered intensity from the very first possession. Japan’s top-ranked side, UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE, entered with the highest scoring average in their domestic league and a reputation built on composure and execution. Their opponents, CT TIGERS.EXE of Thailand, carried equal confidence, a veteran unit known for toughness, discipline, and the ability to close out close contests. From the start, both teams showcased high-level defence and patience, trading baskets in a physical, low-scoring battle that reflected just how evenly matched they were.

For eight minutes, neither side managed to gain clear separation. Sasiporn Wongtapha split a pair of free throws to edge CT TIGERS.EXE ahead 10–8, only for Kiri Endo to respond with a determined drive to the basket, trimming the deficit to one with just over a minute to play. The energy inside the Osaka venue was tense — every possession mattered — and both teams pushed their defensive limits trying to force the key turnover that could change the game.

Then came the decisive run. Over the final stretch, Wongtapha, Sroifa Phetnin, and Kanokwan Prajuapsook combined for six unanswered points as CT TIGERS.EXE surged ahead, locking down defensively to hold UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Their ability to stay poised under pressure proved the difference, sealing a 16–9 win and setting the tone for the rest of the tournament.

The victory became even more significant as the results of the pool unfolded. CT TIGERS.EXE followed with a 12–9 win over DREAM.EXE to finish unbeaten, claiming top spot in Pool A and punching their ticket directly to the Grand Final. The result marked a historic moment, the first time a non-Japanese women’s team had advanced to the 3×3.EXE Premier Final, underscoring Thailand’s growing strength on the regional stage.

POOL A SCORES

• Game 1 – CT TIGERS.EXETHA (16) Def UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXEJPN (9)
• Game 2 – CT TIGERS.EXETHA (12) Def DREAM.EXENZL (9)
• Game 3 – DREAM.EXENZL (16) Def UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXEJPN (15)

POOL A WINNER

CT TIGERS.EXE

POOL B

• SANJO BEATERS.EXE (2^nd Japan) 585 EXE POINTS | 16 Wins – 8 Losses | 17.5 PPG
• CHUU.EXE (1^st Thailand) 400 EXE POINTS | 15 Wins – 1 Losses | 19.3 PPG
• RI & CO.EXE (1^st New Zealand) 330 EXE POINTS | 11 Wins – 3 Losses | 12.9 PPG

MOMENT THAT MATTERED

Takase Leads SANJO BEATERS.EXE Past CHUU.EXE in Osaka Showdown

Pool B of the 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Playoffs produced a clash worthy of the occasion. After both SANJO BEATERS.EXE and CHUU.EXE recorded wins over New Zealand’s top-ranked RI & CO.EXE, the stage was set for a decisive showdown between Japan’s number-two side and Thailand’s number-one team, with a direct path to the Grand Final on the line. From the opening check ball, the matchup lived up to expectations, showcasing two of the most balanced teams in Asia, each relying on crisp ball movement, physical defence, and smart execution.

The game swung back and forth through the opening minutes. Yunoka Takase and Yumi Takakuwa powered SANJO BEATERS.EXE’s offence, combining skill and composure to keep their team a step ahead of CHUU.EXE’s fast-paced transition play. As the clock wound down toward the final two minutes, Sanjo held a narrow 15–13 edge before Nene Arai drew a foul and calmly converted both free throws to extend the lead to four.

With the margin small and the pressure mounting, SANJO BEATERS.EXE doubled down defensively. For a full minute, they locked CHUU.EXE out of scoring opportunities, a defensive stand that would define the game. That defensive energy quickly turned into offence, as Takase broke through the lane for a decisive layup to make it 20–15, a blow from which CHUU.EXE could not recover. Despite a late score from Rattiyakorn Udomsuk, the final horn sounded on a 20–17 Sanjo victory.

The result sent SANJO BEATERS.EXE straight into the 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Final, marking another milestone for the Japanese powerhouse. For CHUU.EXE, the loss, only their second of the entire season,  brought an abrupt end to an otherwise dominant campaign. For Sanjo, it was proof of their resilience and balance, powered by a defensive intensity that carried them one step closer to a championship.

POOL B SCORES

• Game 1 – SANJO BEATERS.EXEJPN (20) Def RI & CO.EXENZL (18)
• Game 2  – CHUU.EXETHA (20) Def RI & CO.EXENZL (11)
• Game 3  – SANJO BEATERS.EXEJPN (20) Def CHUU.EXETHA (17)

POOL B WINNER

SANJO BEATERS.EXE

3×3.EXE Women’s Premier Playoffs Grand Final

CT TIGERS.EXE vs SANJO BEATERS.EXE

Thailand Triumphs: CT TIGERS.EXE Make History as First Non-Japanese Women’s Champions

After six months of competition across Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand, the 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Playoffs came down to one final game in Osaka. The championship matchup featured Thailand’s CT TIGERS.EXE, who had stunned Japan’s top seed in pool play, against SANJO BEATERS.EXE, Japan’s number-two side and one of the most consistent teams all season. Both carried national pride and momentum into the title clash, one chasing history, the other defending home dominance.

CT TIGERS.EXE had advanced through Pool A unbeaten, relying on their disciplined defence and the inside power of Sroifa Phetnin and Sasiporn Wongtapha. SANJO BEATERS.EXE earned their place through a gritty win over Thailand’s number-one team, CHUU.EXE, showcasing the precision shooting of Yumi Takakuwa and the all-round playmaking of Yunoka Takase. From the opening possession, it was clear that both sides were ready to leave everything on the court.

Takakuwa opened the scoring for Sanjo with a clean two-pointer from the top, but the response from CT TIGERS.EXE was immediate. Wongtapha and Phetnin powered through for back-to-back layups, followed by a slick assist that gave the Thai side a 3–2 edge after the first minute. Inside play continued to dictate the tempo, Phetnin’s footwork and Wongtapha’s strength inside proving difficult to contain, while Takase kept Sanjo close with steady mid-range jumpers.

Rebounds became critical as the game wore on. A key offensive board from Kanokwan Prajuapsook led to an uncontested basket that kept CT TIGERS.EXE narrowly ahead. Sanjo responded each time through Takakuwa’s smooth shooting, but missed opportunities at the free-throw line began to loom large. By the midpoint, CT TIGERS.EXE led 11–9, their energy and movement forcing Sanjo to chase every possession.

Out of a timeout, Momoko Fukudo made her presence felt, scoring her first basket of the final to bring Sanjo within one. The defensive intensity rose further, both teams contesting every shot and scrambling for every rebound. A free throw from Prajuapsook nudged CT TIGERS.EXE ahead before Takakuwa found rhythm again, hitting back-to-back baskets, including a difficult fadeaway jumper to tie the game at 12–12 with just under three minutes left.

What followed was a display of determination from both sides. Phetnin and Wongtapha continued to find angles inside for CT TIGERS.EXE, while Nene Arai and Takase kept Sanjo level with clever isolations and quick finishes. A sharp feed from Takase to Arai tied the scores again at 15–15 with two minutes remaining, before Phetnin responded once more, showing composure in the paint to retake the lead.

In the closing minute, the spotlight belonged to Phetnin. She scored on back-to-back possessions with deft footwork, blocked a crucial Sanjo layup attempt, and calmly added a free throw to extend the margin to two. Sanjo managed a late point from the line to close within one, but with the clock running down, Phetnin isolated her defender and delivered again, a powerful drive that put CT TIGERS.EXE ahead 19–17. Forced into a desperation heave, Sanjo came up short, leaving the Thais one final possession to finish the job.

With time expiring, Phetnin sealed her masterpiece, driving to the rim for the last basket as the buzzer sounded. The 20–17 victory crowned CT TIGERS.EXE as the 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Champions, Thailand’s first-ever winners, and, combined with Brisbane’s triumph in the men’s division, completed an extraordinary moment for international basketball. For CT TIGERS.EXE, it was a triumph built on poise, unity, and a season-long belief that history was theirs to make.

CT TIGERS.EXETHA (20) Def SANJO BEATERS.EXEJPN (17)

MVP SROIFA PHETNIN (CT TIGERS.EXE) – THAILAND

The 2025 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s Playoffs MVP was awarded to Sroifa Phetnin of CT TIGERS.EXE, whose leadership and all-round dominance defined Thailand’s championship run. Serving as both captain and cornerstone, Phetnin guided her team through every challenge with composure and confidence, setting the tone on defence, controlling the tempo, and taking responsibility in decisive moments.

Her ability to lock down opponents defensively while creating consistent scoring opportunities made her one of the most complete players in the competition. Across both the season and playoffs, Phetnin’s versatility was unmatched, equally effective backing down defenders in the post or reading passing lanes on defence. In the Grand Final, she put CT TIGERS.EXE on her back, leading by example on both ends of the floor and closing the game with a string of clutch baskets that sealed Thailand’s first-ever 3×3.EXE Premier Women’s title.

Final Standings

Links

Written by Andrew Cannings