Talking Basketball | China Women's Basketball Team Edges Puerto Rico After Hard-Fought Battle to Secure Quarterfinal Spot

Poster News

On September 9, a tough battle took place in the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal qualification round, with the China women's basketball team facing Puerto Rico. After a fierce four-quarter contest, China defeated its opponent 75-72 to secure a place in the tournament's quarterfinals. The narrow three-point victory brought the joy of winning while also revealing practical issues that exist during the team's transition between generations.

Four quarters of intense competition left no clear winner, as China held on for victory at the crucial moment

Puerto Rico's women's basketball team was not an easy opponent. The team has strong outside shooting ability, a fast pace in transition offense, and intense physical play, and had previously caused difficulties for Asian teams on the international stage. In this game, both sides entered a back-and-forth battle from the first quarter, with the score constantly changing and neither team able to build a significant lead.

China had a certain advantage in inside physical battles, but the guard line continued to face pressure from the opponent. Puerto Rico repeatedly used fast breaks and outside three-pointers to cut into the deficit, coming close to tying the score several times. Throughout the game, the Chinese players fought for rebounds, actively established position, continuously wore down the opponent defensively, and played steadily on offense, relying on inside scoring to maintain their foundation. Late in the game, Puerto Rico hit consecutive three-pointers to narrow the gap, but China withstood the pressure, protected its defense in the final moments, and secured a difficult 75-72 victory.

The transition between generations still has weaknesses, while high-intensity games provide valuable experience

After the game, head coach Gong Luming commented on the match, saying directly that for this team currently going through a transition between generations, the guard line remains an obvious weakness. Against an opponent like Puerto Rico with a fast pace and strong physicality, the guards still have significant room for improvement in advancing the ball and making passes under high pressure.

This women's basketball team is in a period of personnel transition, with veteran players providing stability and younger players receiving opportunities to gain experience in major tournaments. The value of high-level international games that remain close until the final moments goes far beyond simply earning a quarterfinal ticket. Young players can only develop their ability to read the game and handle pressure in tense situations through battles like these.

Zhang Ziyu still needs to continue developing (Image source: Oriental IC)

Of course, one narrow victory does not mean all problems have been solved. The opponent's outside shooting ability and speed in transition offense and defense have served as a warning for the Chinese women's basketball team. The opponents in the quarterfinal stage will be stronger, and the team needs to quickly review the gains and losses from this game, improve the coordination of offense and defense on the guard line, and refine details.

After winning this crucial match, China women's basketball team successfully advanced to the quarterfinals. This three-point victory was achieved through the collective effort of the entire team. The team needs to turn the experience gained from this game into motivation, continue to face challenges in the quarterfinals, and strive for a better performance.

Editor: Shi Hui

Reviewed by: Li Zhaohui