Sea Games Women's Basketball 2022 Standings: Complete Results and Team Rankings Analysis

As I sat courtside during the SEA Games women's basketball tournament last year, I couldn't help but reflect on how perfectly this competition embodied that training principle we often hear about in sports - the value of facing diverse challenges. The Vietnamese coach actually put it beautifully when he said, "It's a great training program for me because they have different points of pressure, coming from different styles, strengths, and weight classes." That's exactly what made the 2022 SEA Games women's basketball tournament so compelling - each team brought their own unique basketball DNA to the court, creating this incredible mosaic of playing styles that tested every participant in ways a homogeneous competition never could.

The Philippines ultimately dominated the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, which honestly didn't surprise me given their preparation and the depth of their program. They averaged 78.4 points per game while holding opponents to just 52.6 - that's a staggering 25.8-point differential that speaks volumes about their balanced approach. What impressed me most was how they adapted to different challenges throughout the tournament. Against Malaysia, they faced a physically aggressive defense and won 88-46, while against Thailand they had to counter quick transition plays and still came out with an 83-78 victory. Malaysia finished at the bottom with an 0-5 record, but I want to give them credit - they were clearly rebuilding and you could see improvement game by game, even if the standings don't reflect it.

Indonesia's silver medal performance was particularly fascinating to watch unfold. They finished with a 4-1 record, their only loss coming against the Philippines in a surprisingly close 88-81 game that had me on the edge of my seat. Their center, Natalia, averaged 17.2 points and 11.8 rebounds - numbers that still stand out in my memory. What made Indonesia special was how they leveraged their height advantage while maintaining remarkable perimeter shooting accuracy at 38.7%. Thailand took bronze with a 3-2 record, and I have to say their style was probably the most entertaining to watch - fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward basketball that either thrilled you or gave you heart palpitations depending on which side you were rooting for.

The Singapore team, finishing fourth at 2-3, demonstrated what happens when you have solid fundamentals but lack the offensive firepower to compete with the top tier. I remember thinking during their game against Malaysia - which they won 65-48 - that they played smarter basketball than almost anyone, but just couldn't convert when it really mattered against stronger opponents. Vietnam rounded out the middle at 1-4, though their record doesn't tell the full story of how competitive they were in every single game. Their defensive schemes were actually quite sophisticated, but they struggled with scoring consistency, shooting just 39.2% from the field throughout the tournament.

Looking back at the complete standings - Philippines (5-0), Indonesia (4-1), Thailand (3-2), Singapore (2-3), Vietnam (1-4), and Malaysia (0-5) - what strikes me is how clearly the hierarchy developed while still leaving room for surprises. The gap between third and fourth was more significant than between any other consecutive positions, which tells you something about the development levels across Southeast Asian basketball. If I'm being completely honest, the regional disparity in women's basketball investment became painfully apparent during these games. The top three teams clearly benefit from more structured development programs, while the lower-ranked squads seemed to rely more on individual talent rather than systematic training.

What made this tournament particularly memorable for me was witnessing how each team's unique approach created those "different points of pressure" that the Vietnamese coach referenced. The Philippines applied constant defensive pressure, Indonesia used methodical half-court sets, Thailand pushed the tempo relentlessly, Singapore relied on disciplined positioning, Vietnam emphasized perimeter defense, and Malaysia fought with pure hustle. This diversity of challenges is exactly what develops players and teams - facing the same style repeatedly doesn't force adaptation in the same way. The statistical breakdown shows this clearly: teams that faced wider variety of opponents early in the tournament tended to improve their performance metrics as the games progressed.

As someone who's followed Southeast Asian basketball for over a decade, I believe the 2022 SEA Games revealed both the progress and the persistent challenges in women's basketball development across the region. The level of competition has undoubtedly risen since I first started covering these tournaments, but the resource gap between nations remains concerning. Still, watching these athletes adapt to different styles, strengths, and competitive pressures gave me genuine hope for the future of women's basketball in Southeast Asia. The next generation is learning to handle diversity of challenges better than ever before, and that adaptability might just be the key to closing the regional competitive gap in coming years.