Introduction: Basketball is a dynamic sport requiring rapid and accurate decision-making under conditions of fatigue. Both mental and physical fatigue have been shown to impair cognitive and motor performance. However, the combined effects of these two types of fatigue on decision-making processes across different skill levels in basketball players remain underexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of mental and physical fatigue on the decision-making abilities of skilled and novice basketball players.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 30 female basketball players (15 skilled and 15 novices, aged 18–25) participated. Mental fatigue was induced via the Stroop test, and physical fatigue was induced through a basketball-specific circuit protocol. Decision-making was assessed by presenting participants with video clips of real-game scenarios, with measures of accuracy and response time recorded for analysis. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and ANCOVA to compare performance changes.

Results: Both mental and physical fatigue significantly reduced decision-making accuracy and increased response time in both skilled and novice groups (p < 0.05). In novice players, physical fatigue caused a greater increase in response time compared to mental fatigue. However, no significant differences were observed between skill levels in terms of fatigue-induced declines in decision-making performance.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate that mental and physical fatigue substantially impair basketball players’ decision-making performance. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating fatigue management strategies in both training and competitive settings, which should be tailored according to players’ skill levels.