Gong Luming: Guard Position Is a Relatively Weak Link, but Some Veteran Players Have Rich Experience

On September 10 Beijing time, China defeated Puerto Rico 75-72 in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup qualifying playoff. After the game, head coach Gong Luming attended the post-game press conference.

Comments on the game

Gong Luming said: "After entering the knockout stage, every team attaches great importance to the games. This competition format is also very demanding. Puerto Rico was fully prepared today and played with great energy and determination. Our Chinese team also made thorough preparations and anticipated some difficulties. In the end, everyone was able to stay until the finish and not give up, enjoy the game in such intense competition, and gain experience from major tournaments. This was actually a very valuable opportunity. We can cherish every game, seize every opportunity, and show the style of Chinese women's basketball well in this major tournament."

Performance of the guards on the court

"In our team's lineup, the guard position is a relatively weak link, but we also have some veteran players with very rich experience. Today, in the first half, we were a little restrained. In the second half, we played relatively more freely and proactively. We hope our guards can gain experience through major tournaments, build confidence, and better organize the team on both offense and defense."

Challenges against France tomorrow

"France is a strong team. They won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, and their team style is very strong defensively. They watched our game today, and before the tournament started we also played some warm-up games. We hope to learn from them, but we also hope to use our own advantages. Like when we played Italy, we will try to better combine our inside and outside play. We hope to cherish these opportunities to compete in major tournaments and against strong teams, continue to develop our chemistry, train ourselves, and improve, so that in the future, for example at the Olympics, we can achieve better results."