Returning to the pinnacle of Asia, Chinese women's basketball team has more dreams. Finals | Trophy | Asia

This article is taken from the Overseas Edition of People's Daily

This is the moment when dreams come true - in the 2023 Women's Basketball Asian Cup final held on July 2, the Chinese team defeated defending champions Japan 73-71, winning the trophy again after 12 years and returning to the pinnacle of Asia.

From the runner up of the World Cup a year ago to the current champion of the Asian Cup, the Chinese women's basketball team has gone through dormancy and perseverance, and is gradually climbing to the summit. From this year's Hangzhou Asian Games to next year's Paris Olympics, there are more goals and dreams waiting for Chinese women's basketball players to conquer and achieve.

Winning the championship in four fierce battles is not easy to come by

After winning the Asian championship again, Chinese women's basketball player Han Xu said that it felt like a dream.

Since 2011, the Chinese women's basketball team has been 12 years away from Asian champions. And all five Asian Cup championships this time were won by the Japanese team. In both 2019 and 2021, the Chinese women's basketball team lost to the Japanese team in the finals.

The old opponent had another conversation, and the final started with sparks flying everywhere. In the first quarter of the game, the two teams alternated their lead six times and drew 17. At the beginning of the second quarter, Han Xu scored 7 consecutive points to help the team take the lead. But the Japanese team later took advantage of the frequent mistakes made by the Chinese team and launched an 18-2 attack wave, gaining a 9-point lead at halftime.

Chinese player Li Meng said after the game that the Japanese team's football style is characterized by "small, fast, and agile", with fast speed on the field, which puts a lot of pressure on the Chinese team's defense. However, the Chinese team has a mentality of striving for the championship and competing against the opponent, and resolutely implements the coach's deployment.

In the second half of the game, the Chinese team changed and enriched their attacking tactics. At a critical moment, more players stepped forward. While Han Xu played a crucial role in both offense and defense, players such as Li Meng and Wang Siyu frequently challenged the Japanese defense through three pointers and breakthroughs.

In the final game, the situation remained stagnant. In a 54-60 deficit, the Chinese team scored 12 consecutive points with three pointers and free throws, while the Japanese team then stubbornly 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 to establish a leading advantage, and ultimately lifted the trophy amidst the cheers of the entire audience.

In the final, the Chinese team scored double with three players. Han Xu contributed the highest 26 points and 10 rebounds of the game, and was elected as the Most Valuable Player; Wang Siyu scored 17 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and provided 4 assists; Li Meng scored 17 points and provided 6 assists, and together with Han Xu, he was nominated for the best team in the competition.

Chinese team head coach Zheng Wei stated after the game that Chinese players have never given up during the game, focusing on handling every attack and defense until they defeat their opponents. She bluntly stated that winning the Asian Cup, which has been separated for 12 years, is very difficult.

The spirit of overcoming difficulties shines the most in the women's basketball team

The current Women's Basketball Asian Cup will be 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 of the Women's Basketball World Cup.

Returning to Fudi as the world runner up, the Asian Cup journey of the Chinese women's basketball team is not as easy as people imagine. Zheng Wei said that the preparation of the Chinese team was very difficult, with problems such as injuries and uneven personnel. It wasn't until the competition zone that they gradually got back on track.

In this year's Asian Cup, Li Yueru and Huang Sijing were absent due to injuries, which caused the Chinese team to lose two key players in terms of internal strength and organizational continuity. Captain Yang Liwei injured his leg in the semi-final match against the Australian team and missed the final, which posed a challenge to the team's lineup rotation.

After the opening of the Asian Cup, Han Xu, who returned from the WNBA league in the United States, became an important reliance 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 to become the pillar of the team's inner line and 'hold onto the field' at critical moments," said Han Xu. In the group stage match against the South Korean team, the Chinese team battled their opponents until extra time, and Han Xu scored 33 points and 11 rebounds throughout the game, making a huge contribution to the team's victory. As Han Xu said, through the Asian Cup, both myself and the team have become more confident.

Li Meng, who also returned from WNBA, presented a brilliant performance at a crucial moment, showcasing his star like demeanor. In the final, she scored 12 points in the fourth quarter with three runs and free throws, making her one of the biggest contributors to the Chinese team's comeback.

"Through my experience in WNBA, my personal form has improved a bit in this Asian Cup match," said Li Meng. "I will double my efforts and not disappoint everyone's expectations."

Except for two overseas generals, every Chinese player has contributed to the victory of team basketball. Although Yang Liwei missed the final, he played a crucial role in the offensive organization of previous matches; During the critical period of the war, Wang Siyu's "three part rain" showcased his "big heart"; Players such as Jin Weina, Li Yuan, Zhang Ru, and Gao Song are fully committed to both offense and defense; Young generals Tang Yu and Luo Xinyu gained experience in the competition

"We overcame one difficulty, one difficulty, and adjusted one game," Zheng Wei said. Especially since the semi-final victory over the Australian team, the players played very united and selflessly, truly reflecting the spirit of the Chinese women's basketball team.

Continuously break through and then compete for the championship

At last year's Women's Basketball World Cup, the Chinese women's basketball team returned to the top four of the World Series after 28 years. This time, winning the long-awaited Asian Cup championship again has shown fans the hope that the Chinese women's basketball team can return to its peak and stand firm.

Back in 2017, veteran coach Xu Limin took over the Chinese women's basketball team at a low point. Subsequently, photos of the Japanese team winning the Asian Championships were hung in the team's training facility. Xu Limin said that if we don't defeat the Japanese team, the photos won't be taken off.

In the following five years, the Chinese women's basketball team defeated the Japanese team at the Jakarta Asian Games and the World Cup in Spain, breaking the long-standing obsession. A group of young players grew rapidly and lifted the backbone of the team. Players such as Han Xu, Li Yueru, and Li Meng have successively played in the WNBA and have gained recognition and experience in top-level matches.

Before the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup, the Chinese team had repeatedly ranked second on the strength rankings released by the FIBA. In addition to the unique American team, the Chinese women's basketball team has the ability to compete with other strong teams.

From world runner up to Asian champion, since Zheng Wei took over, the Chinese women's basketball team has achieved breakthroughs time and time again. But Zheng Weichang often said that the Chinese team is not yet a truly world-class team. In her opinion, only by being at the top of every competition can she be called strong. When it comes to the goal of participating in the competition, she mentioned the most words as "fighting" - just like the spirit of the Chinese women's basketball team, unity and cooperation, daring to play and fight, and never giving up.

Thanks to their outstanding performance in the Asian Cup, the Chinese women's basketball team has secured admission to 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. At next year's Paris Olympics, the Chinese team will challenge the truly strong teams.

"In the future, we still have many championships to win. We must not be arrogant or impatient, and continue to work hard step by step," said Han Xu.