This is the moment when dreams come true-in the final of the 2023 Women’s Basketball Asian Cup on July 2, the Chinese team defeated the defending champion Japan team 73:71, won the trophy again after 12 years, and returned to the top of Asia.
From the runner-up of the World Cup a year ago to the champion of the Asian Cup today, the Chinese women’s basketball team has gone through dormancy and perseverance, and is climbing to the top step by step. From this year’s Hangzhou Asian Games to next year’s Paris Olympics, there are more goals and dreams waiting to be conquered and realized by the Chinese women’s basketball girls.
The four-quarter fierce championship is not easy to come by
After regaining the Asian championship, Chinese women’s basketball player Han Xu said that it felt like a dream.
Since 2011, the Chinese women’s basketball team has been away from the Asian championship for 12 years. The five Asian Cup titles here have all been won by the Japanese team. In the two competitions in 2019 and 2021, the Chinese women’s basketball team lost to the Japanese team in the finals.
The old opponents talked again, and sparks flew from the beginning of the final. In the first quarter of the game, the two teams took the lead alternately 6 times, and the battle reached a tie of 17. At the beginning of the second quarter, Han Xu scored 7 points in a row to help the team take the lead. However, the Japanese team took advantage of the frequent mistakes of the Chinese team and played an attack wave of 18:2, gaining a 9-point lead at halftime.
Li Meng, a player of the Chinese team, said after the game that the Japanese team’s style of play is characterized by “small, fast, and smart”. The mentality of the opponent, resolutely implement the coach’s deployment.
In the second half of the battle, the Chinese team changed and enriched their offensive tactics. At critical moments, more players stepped forward. While Han Xu played a key role on both offense and defense, players such as Li Meng and Wang Siyu frequently hit the Japanese team’s defense with three-pointers and breakthroughs.
In the final quarter of the game, the battle situation is still stalemate. With the Chinese team behind 54:60, they scored 12 points in a row with three-pointers and free throws, and then the Japanese team tenaciously equalized the score. Until the end of the game, the Chinese women’s basketball team took advantage of the opponent’s impatient mistakes and fouls, took the opportunity to establish a leading advantage, and finally won the trophy amidst the cheers of the audience.
In the final, three Chinese players scored in double figures. Han Xu contributed a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, and was elected as the most valuable player; Wang Siyu scored 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; Li Meng scored 17 points and 6 assists, and was shortlisted together with Han Xu The best lineup of the tournament.
Zheng Wei, the head coach of the Chinese team, said after the game that the players of the Chinese team never gave up in the game and focused on handling every attack and defense until they defeated their opponents. She bluntly said that it is not easy to win the Asian Cup after 12 years of absence.
Overcoming difficulties, the spirit of women’s basketball shines the brightest
This year’s Women’s Basketball Asian Cup was held in Sydney, Australia. A year ago, it was here that the Chinese women’s basketball team returned to the semi-finals of the World Series and won the runner-up in the Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Returning to the blessed land as the world runner-up, the Chinese women’s basketball team’s trip to the Asian Cup is not as easy as people imagined. Zheng Wei said that the preparations for the Chinese team were very difficult. There were problems such as injuries and lack of personnel, and they gradually got on the right track after arriving in the competition area.
In this Asian Cup, Li Yueru and Huang Sijing missed the game due to injuries, which made the Chinese team lose two generals in terms of internal strength and organization. Captain Yang Liwei suffered a leg injury in the semi-final match against Australia and missed the final, which brought challenges to the team’s lineup rotation.
After the Asian Cup kicked off, Han Xu, who returned from the US WNBA league, became an important support for the team on both offense and defense. From the group stage to the knockout stage, Han Xu averaged 31.5 minutes per game, contributing 22 points and 11.8 rebounds.
“I hope that I can become the pillar of the team’s inside line and ‘be able to stay in the field’ at critical moments.” Han Xu said. In the group match against the South Korean team, the Chinese team fought fiercely with their opponents until overtime. Han Xu scored 33 points and 11 rebounds, making great contributions to the team’s victory. As Han Xu said, through the Asian Cup, he and the team are more confident.
Li Meng, who also returned from the WNBA, performed brilliantly at critical moments, showing his star demeanor. In the final, she scored 12 points with three-pointers and free throws in the fourth quarter, and she was one of the biggest contributors to the Chinese team’s reversal.
“Through my experience in the WNBA, my personal condition has improved in this Asian Cup.” Li Meng said, “I will redouble my efforts to live up to everyone’s expectations.”
Except for the two overseas generals, every Chinese player contributed to the victory of “team basketball”. Although Yang Liwei missed the final, he played a key role in the offensive organization of the previous game; Wang Siyu rained “three-pointers” at a critical moment, showing his “big heart”; Jin Weina, Li Yuan, Zhang Ru, Gao Song and other players played in the Going all out on both offensive and defensive ends; teenagers Tang Yu and Luo Xinfu gained experience in the competition…
“We overcome one difficulty after another, and adjust game by game.” Zheng Wei said, especially since the victory over the Australian team in the semi-finals, the players played very united and selfless, and truly brought China to China. The spirit of the women’s basketball team is reflected.
Continue to break through and fight for the championship
In the Women’s Basketball World Cup last year, the Chinese women’s basketball team returned to the top four of the World Series for the first time in 28 years. This time, the long-lost Asian Cup championship was won again, allowing fans to see the hope that the Chinese women’s basketball team will return to the top and stand firm at the top.
Back in 2017, old coach Xu Limin took over the team when the Chinese women’s basketball team was at a low point. Subsequently, the photos of the Japanese team winning the Asian Championships (predecessor of the Asian Cup) were hung in the team’s training hall. Xu Limin said that if the Japanese team is not defeated, the photos will not be removed.
In the following five years, the Chinese women’s basketball team defeated the Japanese team in the Asian Games in Jakarta and the World Cup in Spain, breaking the “demons” that had lasted for many years. A group of young players grew up rapidly, provoking the backbone of the team. Players such as Han Xu, Li Yueru, and Li Meng went to the WNBA to play successively, and gained popularity and experience in the top arena.
Before the 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup, the Chinese team has repeatedly ranked second in the strength list announced by FIBA. In addition to the “unique” U.S. team, the Chinese women’s basketball team already has the ability to “wrestle arms” with various strong teams.
From the world runner-up to the Asian champion, since Zheng Wei took over, the Chinese women’s basketball team has achieved breakthroughs again and again. But Zheng Wei often said that the Chinese team is not yet a truly world-class team. In her opinion, only by reaching the forefront in every major competition can one be called strong. When talking about the goal of the competition, the word she mentioned the most is “fight” – just like the spirit of the Chinese women’s basketball team, unite and cooperate, dare to fight and never give up.
Thanks to the outstanding performance in the Asian Cup, the Chinese women’s basketball team has secured tickets for the Paris Olympics and the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup. This year, the Chinese women’s basketball team will also compete in the Hangzhou Asian Games. In next year’s Paris Olympic Games, the Chinese team will challenge the real strong team.
“In the future, we still have many championships to win. We must not be arrogant or impetuous, and continue to work hard step by step.” Han Xu said.
Editor: Zheng Jianlong
2023-07-05 10:12:35
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