China Women’s Basketball Team Reaches World Cup Quarterfinals, Faces France Tonight

Source: Rolling News

On the evening of September 9 Beijing time, the China women’s basketball team faced Puerto Rico in the World Cup qualification playoff. After a hard-fought four quarters, China narrowly defeated their opponents 75-72 to advance to the quarterfinals of this World Cup, becoming the only Asian team to reach the last eight in this tournament.

China’s starting lineup for this game featured Han Xu, Chen Mingling, Zhang Manman, Luo Xinyu, and Yang Shuyu. The contest was extremely close, with the lead changing hands repeatedly for most of the game. In the closing stages, China held firm under pressure, with Han Xu and Luo Xinyu hitting key three-pointers in succession to extend the lead to 72-66. Puerto Rico immediately called a timeout to adjust. After the timeout, Puerto Rico launched a strong comeback and cut the deficit to 70-72 with consecutive scores. At the crucial moment, Yang Shuyu calmly converted two free throws to give China a 74-70 lead. Puerto Rico refused to give up and scored two points in the paint to make it 72-74. In the final seconds, an opponent foul sent Wang Siyu to the line, where she made one of two free throws to secure the victory. The final score was 75-72, sending China into the World Cup quarterfinals.

Several China players delivered outstanding performances in this game. Han Xu led the team with 21 points and 11 rebounds, Yang Shuyu recorded 15 points and 11 assists, young player Zhang Ziyu contributed 13 points after coming off the bench and playing aggressively, and Luo Xinyu added 10 points and 5 rebounds.

China women’s basketball head coach Gong Luming commented: “The knockout stage is highly competitive. Puerto Rico was well prepared for this game and competed aggressively. China made plans for difficult situations before the match and stayed composed until the end.” Han Xu said after the game: “This team has a younger roster this time, and my role has changed. I need to adjust my mindset in time and stay steady at key moments.”

According to the schedule, at 8:30 p.m. Beijing time on September 10, China will face France in the World Cup quarterfinals. In FIBA competitions, China and France have met five times, with China holding a slight advantage at 3-2. Their most recent meeting was in 2024, when China lost to France 50-82. In the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup, China also faced France and defeated them 85-71 to advance to the semifinals. Han Xu, Wang Siyu, and Li Yuan have experience playing against France in the previous World Cup.

Looking ahead to the tough matchup, Han Xu said: “France is a very strong team and is ranked second in the world, but we are not afraid of our opponents. As a young team, our biggest advantage is that we are willing to fight and compete, and we dare to challenge the world’s top teams directly. We will give everything we have and leave no regrets.” Luo Xinyu also said: “I hope to improve in every aspect in the game against France and contribute more to the team.”

Against France, fitness will be the biggest challenge facing China’s women’s basketball team. The team must play back-to-back games within 24 hours, resulting in significant physical demands. In contrast, France went unbeaten in the group stage with three victories and advanced directly to the quarterfinals as the top team in Group B. After their game against Nigeria on September 7 Beijing time, France had a full two days of rest and will be in better physical condition.

Gong Luming said: “France is a powerful team. We also played against France in previous warm-up games. We hope to continue the balanced inside-outside style and approach we showed against Italy in the group stage. We should approach the game with a learning mindset, cherish the opportunity to compete against a world-class team, continue improving our lineup through real competition, enhance our strength, and accumulate experience and momentum for future international tournaments.”

Image source: Xinhua News Agency