Truth Revealed! Why China Women's Basketball Team Beat Italy by 20 Points: These Changes Came at the Right Time

In the early hours of September 8 Beijing time, in the final Group D match of the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup, China Women's Basketball Team defeated European powerhouse Italy 71-51 for a 20-point victory. Just two days earlier, the team had struggled and narrowly defeated the Czech Republic. In only two days, China Women's Basketball Team completed a major transformation. There were several key reasons behind this win.

First, the key players delivered outstanding performances. Han Xu scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Yang Shuyu contributed 15 points and 5 assists. The two formed the team's most effective offensive and defensive core. Yang Shuyu was no longer limited to waiting for passes on the perimeter, instead using her strong driving ability to attack with the ball and tear apart the defense, creating significant space for the interior. Han Xu showed strong finishing ability near the basket, while also making both of her three-point attempts, completely stretching Italy's defensive formation. This inside-out connection made it difficult for opponents to defend, and the two players were crucial to China's victory.

Second, China showed strong defensive pressure and consistent outside shooting. The team displayed great defensive intensity in the first quarter, allowing Italy to score only 7 points and completely disrupting their offensive rhythm. While suppressing Italy defensively, China's perimeter shooters also found their form, making 8 of 19 three-point attempts for a 42% shooting rate. The all-around outside threat forced Italy to avoid collapsing too heavily inside, creating many open opportunities for attacks in the paint and allowing China to excel on both ends of the court.

Third, turnover control improved significantly. In the previous game against the Czech Republic, China committed as many as 29 turnovers and nearly lost control of the match. In this game, China reduced its turnovers to 10, a remarkable improvement. Facing Italy's high-pressure defense, the guards made quicker decisions with their passes, while the interior players provided better support, effectively cutting off Italy's transition opportunities and firmly controlling the pace of the game.

Fourth, the team basketball philosophy was fully implemented. All 12 players of China Women's Basketball Team saw playing time in this game, and 11 of them scored. Whether it was Han Xu, Yang Shuyu, Zhang Ziyu, or Wang Siyu, everyone contributed, making it impossible for Italy to limit China's offense by focusing on double-teaming a single player. With everyone contributing, Italy had few answers.

Finally, Italy experienced fatigue issues. Less than 24 hours earlier, Italy had just gone through a high-intensity battle against the United States, resulting in significant physical demands. China quickly recognized this opportunity and used intense physical play from the opening stage to wear down the opponent, eventually establishing a large lead.

From a hard-fought narrow win to a comfortable dominant victory, China Women's Basketball Team announced its return to form with a 20-point win. According to World Cup rules, China will face Puerto Rico Women's Basketball Team in the next game. This team has considerable strength, and China hopes to maintain the positive form shown against Italy and secure another victory.