New Generation Incoming: Views from the NBA Rising Stars Invitational
A new era is upon us, and a precedent has been set for the future of grassroots global basketball with the NBA Rising Stars Invitational.
The NBA’s first regional high school tournament consisted of 12 boys’ teams and 10 girls’ teams from 11 different countries across the Asia-Pacific. The multi-day event gave young players from different regions the opportunity to experience the game of basketball on a global scale, against top-level competition from different regions, and to experience a cultural and NBA-ran event like no other.
The Rising Stars Invitational was jampacked with pro veterans like ambassador Yao Ming, WNBA legend Lauren Jackson, along with stars Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighoraro, and Keisei Tominaga. Everyone was on site to watch teams compete for the first ever Building Ball Trophy–designed by world renowned artist Victor Solomon.
At the NBA Stars Rising Invitational a few weeks back, I sat down with WNBA legend Lauren Jackson and ask her what advice she would give a young international player looking to achieve her dreams. pic.twitter.com/E9eokjyUoC
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) July 16, 2025
I spoke with Lauren Jackson about the first ever NBA Rising Stars Invitational and her thoughts on the groundbreaking event.
The regional high school tournament brings together 11 different top girls and boys teams across the Asia-Pacific region to compete in Singapore. pic.twitter.com/XMcCFFlRGH
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 26, 2025
K-pop superstar Jini made an appearance for the semifinals and finals, sitting courtside and cheering on the action. Miami Heat mascot Burnie entertained us all week along with the Laker Girls, who performed during halftime and breaks in the action.
Singapore itself proved to be one of the most jaw-dropping places I have ever visited. From the Michelin star food and culturally diverse markets to the illuminating beauty of the Gardens by the Bay, and the pure kindness and friendliness from the locals. It proved to be the perfect destination to host hoopers, fans, and media members from all over the world.
It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
I attended the invitational as a global scout–sitting back, enjoying the action, and evaluating some of the top female hoopers from the region. Kyoto Seika Gakuen Senior High School (Japan) were dominant at Rising Stars from start to finish and defeated Onyang Girls’ High School in the championship, 109-40.
Here are some of the top players that stood out to me.
Top Performers
Hikari Yoshida: 5’8 – Point Guard (Kyoto Seika, Japan)
Was named the first ever Most Valuable Player of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational after setting the tone for Kyoto Seika. Yoshida is a high-motor guard, capable of playing on or off the ball, is at her best in the full court when she can get coast to coast and put pressure on the defense. With a great understanding of pace and playing fast, Yoshida’s ability to move the ball quickly and make fast decisions made it difficult for opponents to match up and come up with consistent stops. On the defensive end of the floor, she set the tone as a pesky on-ball defender looking to be disruptive and turn defense into easy points. As a shifty, multi-level scorer, Yoshida showed out as one of the elite performers in the tournament.
Kohaku Mansho: 5’7 – Combo Guard (Kyoto Seika, Japan)
Multi-level scoring guard capable of playmaking for herself and for others. Her energy and smile were infectious throughout the entire week in Singapore. Mansho has proven time and time again to be one of the most prolific playmaking guards in the world with her hustle, skill, and energy. Highly effective off the pick and roll, she is a great decision maker and has an elite understanding of where the ball needs to go and when–especially in post-entry passes. Her speed and agility makes it difficult for defenders to match up with her. She is shifty with the ball in her hands and does a great job of attacking defenders’ hips in the full court. Mansho is a smooth playmaking guard who dazzled Singapore all week long!
Kohaku Mansho is putting on an offensive clinic this first half with 14 points on 5/7 shooting for Kyoto (JPN) in just 11 minutes. pic.twitter.com/TgI2YiQBhl
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 29, 2025
Ngalula Liya Mukuna: 6’2 – Forward (Kyoto Seika, Japan)
Not one person walked away from the NBA Rising Stars Invitational not knowing the name–Ngalula Liya Mukuna. Mukuna was the epitome of dominance as a walking double-double who finished with a monster 30-point, 27-rebound performance in the championship game. Mukuna’s strength, soft touch, and athleticism was on full display in her ability to do her work early for good positioning on the block and be impactful in the pick and roll. As an elite rebounder, Mukuna pursues the glass like no other, and nobody in Singapore would have been able to block her out. She plays well in transition, can advance the ball two to three dribbles in the open court, and uses her length well to spread out and demand for great positioning down low. Mukuna has a massive ceiling as she has barely scratched the surface of her potential.
Ngalula Liya Mukuna (2008) finished with 30 points and 27 rebounds to lead Japan to the first ever championship title of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational. She dominated from start to finish. pic.twitter.com/m9IpVPQrch
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 29, 2025
Chidimma Clara Felix: 5’11 – Forward (Kyoto Seika, Japan)
Felix is a strong, tweener guard/forward who impacted the game many ways from her ability to come up with second chances on the offensive glass, to finishing strong through contact around the rim and defending nearly any position on the floor. Felix can be utilized in a lot of different ways but really stood out in the high post with her ability to pass post to post, to attacking off the dribble. Her strong frame and athleticism made her a tough matchup for opponents.
Odia Ruth Kawel: 6’4 – Center (Kyoto Seika, Japan)
Her imposing length, athleticism, and rim protection anchored the champions in Singapore this week. Kawel does a great job of elevating over opponents, using her length effectively on the glass and keeping the ball high and away from pesky defenders. On the defensive end of the floor, her length and shot blocking made it a nightmare for opponents when they even considered coming near the paint. Kawel is a very promising post player with a major ceiling of potential.
Odia Ruth Kawel with the BIG TIME rejection. pic.twitter.com/UUn93V8gOY
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 29, 2025
Juha Kang: 5’8 – Guard (Onyang HS, South Korea)
A longer guard who consistently played with her head on a swivel, always looking to advance the ball fast, play with great pace, and speed opponents up. She delivered some elite passes and found ways to consistently generate high percentage shots for her teammates averaging 6.3 assists per game. When driving, she finished well at the rim and is an efficient perimeter shooter at 42 percent for the tournament.
Wonjung Lee: 5’9 – Guard (Onyang HS, South Korea)
Highly-skilled wing who plays with a smoothness to her game. A well-rounded athlete capable of scoring and facilitating, she seemed to consistently make the right play time after time–especially when playing fast and in transition. She found ways to create for herself against bigger competition and has an elite understanding of spacing on the floor. A leader on the court in terms of understanding the game and getting her teammates into the correct action. Three-level scorer who elevated in the mid-range game. Smooth and poised with the ball in her hands and one of the most skilled players in the entire tournament averaging 18 points and 5.3 assists per game.
Wonjung Lee (2006) does a great job of playing in space, creating space against size, drawing the defense and creating easy shots for her teammates. pic.twitter.com/pnAj2Rpegz
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 29, 2025
Hyeonjeong Hwang: 5’9 – Guard/Forward (Onyang HS, South Korea)
One of the most potent shooters in the entire event who hit jaw-dropping shot after shot. Constantly hunting the three ball, capable of knocking it down two steps off the three-point line with a quick release and will shoot it with a hand in her face. She has the green light to shoot it from anywhere at any given time. An active cutter who understands spacing and getting out into a passing lane. She hit seven threes in their semifinal win to send them to the championship game and shot an efficient 37 percent from the field.
Hyeonjeong Hwang finished with 30 points and went 7/19 from the 3pt line. pic.twitter.com/byI8Is7ZZ4
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 28, 2025
Georgia Baensch: 5’6 – Point Guard (Flinders Christian, Australia)
One word that comes to mind when watching Georgia Baensch–toughness. The lead guard set the tone for Australia on both ends of the floor with how hard she played every single possession she was on the court. With a strong build, she was highly impactful in the open floor, getting downhill and attacking the rim in traffic and getting herself to the free-throw line. Baensch embraced the physicality of the game and was aggressive both offensive and defensively and made countless hustle plays on big time possessions. She’s the type of player every coach wants on their team.
I love the toughness out of Georgia Baensch (AUS). Her no quit mentality brings so much momentum to her team. Gives her all both ends of the floor every possession. pic.twitter.com/bOsRJsPflD
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 28, 2025
Maddison Carr: 5’10 – Guard (Flinders Christian, Australia) Capable of being utilized in many ways as a multi-level scoring wing. She did a great job of hunting her opportunities on the perimeter, is at her best when she can get her feet set from deep, and her quick release makes her tough to guard. When aggressive, she can take you off the dribble and has some highly aggressive, strong takes to the basket. She really thrived in the 15-17 ft short corner shot and corner three. Has a promising future as a versatile guard.
Scouting Notebook #NBARisingStarsInvitational
Maddison Carr (2008) of Flinders College (AUS) impressed this week in Singapore with her handles and ability to get to the basket. The 5’9” guard averaged 14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 2.0 spg. Dream school is UConn. pic.twitter.com/iDfww1i9iS
— Conrad Chow (@conrad_hoops) June 28, 2025
Irina Ibralic: 5’9 – Guard (Flinders Christian, Australia)
Well-rounded wing who has a lot of potential. I noticed her good footwork when coming off screens, looking to hunt her opportunities from the perimeter. She uses her length well defensively and can guard inside and out. Has good vision, passing ability, and overall feel of the game despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament.
Nyachoop Muot: 5’9 – Guard (Flinders Christian, Australia)
Active wing who came up with a ton of hustle players for Flinders. She is very impactful on the glass, especially coming down with second chance opportunities for her team. Has nice power to her game, explosive first step when attacking off the dribble, can get by defenders, and does a good job of attacking their hip. Very good motor and hustle player.
Qiqi Zhuang: 6’3 – Center (Tsinghua University HS, China)
Strong post player who embraces the physicality of the game and is comfortable playing with her back to the basket. Excels ducking in and getting deep position across a defender’s face. Her drop step over her left shoulder was nearly impossible to stop. She has good fundamentals in the post from chinning the ball, to keeping the ball high, and being able to finish to and through contact. She can face up from the high post or short corner and attack off the dribble two to three dribbles. Plays with a lot of passion and has advanced low-block skillset for her age.
Wantong Yang: 6’1 – Forward (Tsinghua University HS, China)
More of a tweener forward with elements of being able to slide over and play out on the wing. Her strong frame and physicality made it a matchup problem for opponents and used her size well in the paint to finish around the rim. Capable of playing in the high post, the post-to-post connection was one of the most exciting elements of this team.
Xu Anqi: 6’0 – Guard (Tsinghua University HS, China
A smooth wing with a nice-looking shot and effective mid-range game. A promising perimeter threat looking to spot up in transition or for kick outs. Lengthy guard who uses it well to anticipate defensively and make plays.
Rumi Konwar: 5’7 – Guard (Delhi Public School, India)
Shooting guard with a scoring mentality. Does a good job of getting to her spots, active in getting to open passing lanes or spotting up in transition. She has deep range, capable of shooting two to three steps off the three-point line.
Kartika Hatta Mahanani: 5’7 – Guard (SMAK BPK Penabur Cirebon, Indonesia)
Versatile guard capable of playing the 1-3. Athletic, multi-level scoring threat capable of getting it to the rim, pulling up from mid-range, and stretching the defense as a three-point threat. Averaged 22 points per game and shot 53-percent from within the three-point line. She had some high-level finishes at the basket and jaw-dropping plays with how she was able to create not just for herself, but also for her teammates. Delivered strong, pin-point passes. A high-level competitor who made it fun to watch her impact the tournament in many ways.
Inez Angelina Welly: 5’6 – Point Guard (SMAK BPK Penabur Cirebon, Indonesia)
One of the most electric players at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational from her dazzling behind the back and no-look passes to her deep perimeter range and her energy she brought to her court every game. A well-rounded guard who was capable of making a play, creating for herself, or creating for teammates. She had some acrobatic finishes at the rim and found ways to create separation and space for herself in traffic. Welly is a dynamic, playmaking guard who everyone had a blast watching in Singapore.
Hui Ying Lai: 5’9 – Guard/Forward (Hin Hua HS, Malaysia)
Versatile guard and tweener who found ways to impact every play in the game. She is aggressive off the dribble, good body control and finishes well around the rim with soft touch. Skilled wing in the open floor who thrives in transition and finishing through contact. Can play in the high post and operate in dribble hand off action, screening action, and can face up and knock down the mid-range jumper. She made the right read and plays defensively.
Misheel Elbegbayar: 5’7 – Guard (Oyunii Undraa HS, Mongolia)
Hard working guard with a scoring mentality who does not shy away from anyone or anything. She had some strong takes to the rim, was scrappy in coming up with big plays for her team, and an effective rebounder from the guard spot. She does a good job of reading what the defense gives her and attacking their disadvantage, especially entertaining when she got hot from the three-point line (hit five in one game). A confident player who was highly entertaining to watch averaging 25 points in her two games.
Madelin Sophie Lock: 5’7 – Combo Guard (Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore)
Skilled combo guard who plays the game under control. She is very fundamentally sound. She wants to penetrate and create, does not get sped up, always playing with poise and composure. She has a floater in the lane she can utilize to create space for herself, has nice touch in traffic, and an effective playmaker who consistently makes the right read in transition. One of the top facilitators and playmakers in the event averaging 13 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Qian Ya Kong: 5’6 – Point Guard (Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore)
Lefty guard, looking to turn a corner and attack the paint. Driver first who wants to get out and make plays in transition, plays with a great motor and is highly active. She does a great job of driving and drawing the defense and dumping down to the back side or kicking out for high-percentage shots. She was efficient with her shot selection and scoring, especially around the rim averaging 17 points per game in her three contests.
Marinat Sithisanarng: 5’8 – Guard (Watnoinoppakhun School, Thailand)
Shooter, looking to get her feet set and spot up on the perimeter in transition and on kick outs. She has deep range, will shoot it with a hand in her face, and has fun with how she plays out on the court averaging 18.3 points and 8.6 rebounds. Always around the action and making things happen for her team.
Apinya Rattanarangsri: 5’8 – Guard (Watnoinoppakhun School, Thailand)
Has a smooth mid-range game to her, is constantly looking to play in attack mode and pull up, especially in transition. She wants to get into the paint and elevate over defenders. Is a good rebounder from the guard spot, hustles after every ball. She has a confident shot from all over the floor, finishes well in transition, and has all the tools to be a versatile and effective defender.
The post New Generation Incoming: Views from the NBA Rising Stars Invitational appeared first on Winsidr.
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