Sports View | China Women's Basketball Team Advances After 74-70 Overtime Win Over Czech Republic; Result Predictable but Process Bizarre

On the evening of September 6 Beijing time, the Women's Basketball World Cup group stage continued. China and the Czech Republic were tied 64-64 at the end of regulation, and after overtime China narrowly defeated the opponent 74-70 to secure its first win of this World Cup group stage. Later, the United States women's team defeated Italy 55-52, securing first place in the group and advancing to the quarterfinals early. China and Italy, both with 1-1 records, advanced together, while the Czech Republic, with two losses, was eliminated early.

First, China won this game against the Czech Republic. Although the process was not attractive and the victory was full of ups and downs, it was still a win. With Chinese basketball facing difficulties today, securing a World Cup group-stage advancement spot is at least something to hold onto. The result also brought the team level with Japan and South Korea in the standings, and there is still room to continue fighting and address Olympic qualification later.

Second, although the win was not convincing, realistically speaking, this is roughly the current level of the Chinese team.

At the beginning of the year in Wuhan, China only beat the Czech Republic by 10 points at home, so narrowing the margin to four points at a neutral venue was reasonable. In Wuhan, China led throughout before nearly being overturned by a late comeback; in Berlin, China trailed throughout before completing a comeback — today's Chinese women's team no longer has the strength it had four years ago: veteran players have departed, and newcomers are still trying to take over.

Yang Shuyu was still playing 3x3 basketball during the Tokyo Olympics and gradually became part of the national team after the World Cup in Australia. Luo Xinyu joined slightly earlier, but she has constantly moved between the starting lineup and the bench, and her starting role was previously even less established than Yang's.

On this night, the two young pillars were lost for most of the game. Neither dared to take responsibility for attacking the basket or shooting, and China's offense kept circling on the perimeter with little threat — the ball moved around outside without danger, and the Czech team barely needed to pay attention, focusing entirely on the inside.

Fortunately, when the team was close to losing, the two finally awakened. Luo Xinyu's two three-pointers were one a lifesaver and the other a foundation for victory, while Yang Shuyu's drive tied the score. In the full-game statistics, Luo shot 5-for-11 for 13 points, and Yang shot 8-for-13 for 18 points, making them indispensable.

Of course, this does not mean the victory was easy or outstanding. On the contrary, although the result remained within the broader framework of the teams' relative strength, it came from both sides making mistakes against each other, so there was little reason for celebration. The Czech Republic led for much of the game and had designed a targeted strategy against China: quickly double-teaming inside and betting on China's inaccurate outside shooting — although it was hardly a gamble, as this has long been known.

Under this strategy, Zhang Ziyu, who had recently gained widespread attention for her performance against the United States, was immediately neutralized and never fully recovered during the game. Her 3 points, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in 11 minutes forced Han Xu to fight hard on the court — with limited effect. Although Han recorded a big double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, maintaining much of the team's offense, she also had 7 turnovers, including one late-game steal that nearly wasted all the team's efforts.

The Czech Republic had detailed and effective tactics. What was China's tactic? The answer: none.

It is hard to imagine that this team, which looked lost on the court, had spent several months in training over the past year at the cost of giving up league play, yet still showed little in terms of organized tactical movement — horns, Spain actions and other sets are even run by ordinary enthusiasts. What exactly was practiced during such a long training period? Why did it result in everyone becoming hesitant and unable even to create basic triple-threat situations after receiving the ball?

In the end, just as predicted, China lost to the United States and defeated the Czech Republic, achieving the basic goal of advancing from the group stage. The next game against Italy will determine the knockout-stage seeding and the difficulty of reaching the semifinals.

However, judging from what these two games have shown, the situation is worrying. Very worrying.

Written by Hubei Daily reporter Guo Xiaoming

Photo by Xinhua News Agency