Puerto Rico coach praises Chinese player after loss: She is amazing, can you send her to us?

China's women's basketball team won, defeating Puerto Rico 75-72 in a very difficult second-stage game to advance to the top eight. They will face France in the semifinals, and we are proud of China's women's basketball team.

The victory was extremely difficult, as the teams stayed close throughout the game. China's players did not play completely freely and still carried some pressure and concerns. They only played two strong quarters, the first and the fourth, when they completely suppressed Puerto Rico. However, Puerto Rico actually played better than China in the second and third quarters, winning both of those periods. The margin was not large, with China leading by only one point at halftime and trailing by one point after the third quarter. In the decisive period, China's twin stars showed their advantages. The inside-outside combination of Yang Shuyu and Han Xu was outstanding. Han Xu scored 14 points alone in the fourth quarter, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Yang Shuyu also contributed the team's second-highest 15 points and provided an impressive 11 assists, more than the combined assists of all China's point guards.

Besides the twin stars scoring in double figures, Zhang Ziyu and Luo Xinyi also scored 13 and 10 points respectively. Zhang Ziyu played only 9 minutes, shooting 5-of-6 from the field, showing very efficient offense. Luo Xinyi also made two three-pointers, especially a key three late in the deciding period that essentially sealed the game and was extremely valuable. Wang Siyu also fought hard. Because point guard Zhang Manman committed four fouls, Wang Siyu had to play 26 minutes, becoming the longest-playing guard on the team. They were all contributors to China's victory.

Puerto Rico played better today than in the group stage and delivered an exceptional performance. Their three-point shooting, which had not been their strength, produced seven made three-pointers today at a percentage close to 40%, higher than China's. They also won the rebounding battle against China. In particular, San Antonio shot 8-of-14 and scored a game-high 24 points. They lost by only three points and played very well. However, Puerto Rico's head coach also completely accepted the result, praising one Chinese player after the game for being outstanding and jokingly saying, 'Can you send her to us? Let her play with us.'

The player praised by Puerto Rico was not Han Xu or Yang Shuyu, but the efficient and difficult-to-defend Zhang Ziyu. Puerto Rico's head coach said after the game, 'Can you send her to us? Let her play with us, because she is really amazing right now.' The coach also explained why Zhang Ziyu played so well: 'I think she is a very outstanding player, and her future will be very bright. What I like most about her is that she is very patient. Every time she gets the ball, everyone makes physical contact with her. This may be the only way to defend her, but she is so big. She not only understands the game but can also shoot. She also has very good skills. Zhang Ziyu is really amazing.' The Puerto Rico coach praised Zhang Ziyu's patience, saying she understands the game, can shoot, and has strong technical ability.

Standing 2.26 meters tall, Zhang Ziyu is indeed a difficult matchup for opponents near the basket. Puerto Rico could not effectively limit her today, as she scored almost every time she raised her hand, shooting 5-of-6 in just 9 minutes. It is hoped that Zhang Ziyu will continue to train hard in the future, improve her center skills, and deliver even better performances.