Emotional Return! China's Women's Basketball Team's 29-Year-Old Key Player Back: Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu Form a Perfect Pair, Can She Connect the Team's Push for the Quarterfinals?

China's women's basketball team will face Puerto Rico at 23:45 on September 9 in a quarterfinal qualification game. If they can win, China will achieve its initial goal in this World Cup. During a previous European training tour, China played a warm-up game against Puerto Rico and lost 63-70.

However, Han Xu did not play in that game, and Wang Siyu missed it because of an ankle injury. Han Xu has produced outstanding performances in this World Cup, recording double-doubles in three consecutive games. Wang Siyu missed the opening game against the United States and had an ordinary performance after returning in the second game against the Czech Republic. In the third game against Italy, her playing time increased to 20 minutes, and she recorded 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, with a plus-minus rating of +17.

The 29-year-old Wang Siyu has played the role of a lubricant on the court, effectively organizing China's offense. Zhang Manman is not particularly skilled at running the offense and is a point guard focused more on defense. Chen Yujie is also not a strong organizer and focuses more on offense. Li Yuan has been troubled by a back injury and is not in her best condition.

Wang Siyu's ankle injury has not fully recovered. According to basketball commentator Yang Yi's podcast, three ligaments in Wang's right ankle joint were affected: one was torn completely, one was partially torn, and only one remained intact. Clearly, an injury involving a torn ligament could not heal within just over 10 days.

However, Wang Siyu chose to play through the injury. The ankle problem has affected her jumping ability and explosiveness, but her court vision and passing are qualities that China's women's basketball team greatly needs.

In the game against Italy's women's basketball team, China's offense became noticeably smoother after Wang Siyu entered the court. Wang Siyu also activated Zhang Ziyu. She is the best passer on the team when it comes to feeding Zhang Ziyu. Zhang played more decisively against Italy, not only in scoring inside the paint but also in integrating into the team's overall offense.

On one possession, Zhang Ziyu grabbed a rebound and immediately passed it to Wang Siyu. Wang took two dribbles before delivering a long pass to Tang Ziting, who was running a fast break and finished with a layup. Wang remains the player on China's women's basketball team most capable of initiating fast breaks with long passes.

Wang Siyu and Han Xu were teammates on the Sichuan team for many years, and she is also the best passer on the team for finding Han Xu. Against Puerto Rico's women's basketball team, China will still need Wang Siyu to deliver an excellent performance.

During the Paris Olympic cycle, Wang Siyu has been a key player for China's women's basketball team. At the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup, Wang made major contributions as China won the silver medal. She also helped China win championships at the 2023 Women's Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games. She repeatedly made key plays at crucial moments and earned the nickname of a clutch player.

Against Puerto Rico's women's basketball team, China has an advantage in the interior, with Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu as strengths. Based on the games, Wang Siyu and Zhang Ziyu are most effective when they play together, allowing Zhang to maximize her impact. Of course, China will also need perimeter players to provide offensive support against Puerto Rico. Yang Shuyu and Luo Xinyu will both need to contribute. China needs a balanced inside-out attack, and Wang Siyu is a key connector in that system.