Xinhua
13 Jul 2025, 21:58 GMT+10
SHENZHEN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- All 12 players scored as China opened its 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup campaign with a dominant 110-59 victory over Indonesia on Sunday.
Despite a few early hiccups from China's revamped starting lineup, the defending champion quickly found its rhythm. Effective ball movement set up center Han Xu, whose height and court vision translated into several scoring plays. Indonesia, meanwhile, struggled offensively. After Kim Pierre-Louis hit an opening jumper, the team went scoreless for a prolonged stretch until Faizzatus Shoimah knocked down a three-pointer.
China's 18-year-old prodigy Zhang Ziyu entered the game with six and a half minutes left in the first quarter. The 226cm center quickly imposed her presence on both ends of the floor, helping China close the first half with a commanding 49-20 lead.
After the break, China continued to execute smoothly, with several plays designed to get the ball to Zhang, who proved nearly unstoppable near the basket. Guard Yang Shuyu also impressed in the third quarter, frequently attacking the rim and energizing China's offense. The game turned into a blowout as China extended the lead to 47 points heading into the final period.
Seven Chinese players finished in double figures, with Yang Liwei, Luo Xinyu and Zhang Ziyu each contributing a team-high 13 points. Han added 12 points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. Indonesia's Pierre-Louis led all scorers with 16 points.
China assembled a 28-player training camp in mid-April, featuring several new faces. The squad played six warm-up games from late June to early July against top Asian opponents, including Australia and Japan, finishing with a 5-1 record ahead of the tournament in Shenzhen.
Concerns had been raised about China's strength following the withdrawal of star guard Li Meng with injury in June, and the absence of key center Li Yueru, who currently plays in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.
However, the emergence of Zhang Ziyu, making her senior national team debut, provided a timely boost. Head coach Gong Luming gave her 11 minutes and 36 seconds off the bench, during which the reigning FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup MVP tallied 13 points, four rebounds and two assists.
"She has a unique talent, but this first tournament will be a challenge. She still needs more games and time to adapt to FIBA basketball," Gong said of the rising star.
The coach described the team's performance as "okay" for its tournament opener, noting that he was using the game to test different lineups and help newcomers adjust to the pace of international play.
"The rotations and tactics we tried tonight weren't aimed at any specific opponent - we're focusing on ourselves first," Gong added.
Get a daily dose of Perth Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Perth Herald.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed cautious optimism that the European Union and the United States can strike...
OTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Aviation expert Sanat Kaul on Sunday raised concerns over the preliminary report of the Air India...
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Aviation safety consultant and founder and CEO of Martin Consulting, Mark D Martin, on Sunday called...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia - Two French girls barely out of high school remain behind bars after their arrival into Australia's...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Financial markets kicked off the week on a cautious note as President Donald Trump rolled out a fresh round...
SHENZHEN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- All 12 players scored as China opened its 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup campaign with a dominant 110-59...
(Photo credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images) Australian Grace Kim saved her best for last as she won her first major title at the Evian...
Brussels has pressured Vincenzo De Luca to ban a performance by Valery Gergiev due to the conductors stance on the Ukraine conflict...
