Sydney, July 2, Xinhua News Agency (Reporter Wang Qi) On the 2nd, the 2023 Women's Basketball Asian Cup ended in Sydney, Australia, and the Chinese team narrowly defeated the Japanese team 73:71 in the final, lifting the championship trophy again after 12 years, while ending the opponent's five consecutive Asian Cup championships.
Han Xu, a member of the Chinese team, was named the most valuable player in this year's Women's Basketball Asian Cup, and she and her teammate Li Meng were selected as the best team of the tournament.
On July 2, the Chinese team celebrated at the award ceremony. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Hu Jingchen)
The last time the Chinese women's basketball team won the Asian Cup was back in 2011, and in the last two Asian Cup finals, the Chinese women's basketball team lost to Japan.
In the final of the day, the Chinese team scored double-doubles with three players in the game, and Han Xu contributed a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds; Wang Siyu scored 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; Li Meng had 17 points and 6 assists.
The first quarter was a tie between six alternating leads, and the two sides ended the quarter with a 17-draw draw. The Chinese team led with a 7-0 offensive surge in the second quarter to take a 24-17 lead, but made frequent mistakes for the remainder of the quarter and scored only two points. Japan took advantage and led 35:26 at half-time.
After a midfield adjustment, the Chinese team regained its form and narrowed the gap to three points at the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, the two teams tied 66 in the final stage of the game, the Japanese team was a little impatient, fouled continuously, and Li Meng and Wang Siyu's free throws gave China a five-point lead with 13 seconds left in the game. Although the Japanese team hit a three-pointer before the end, they were unable to recover.
On July 2, the Chinese team celebrated after winning the championship. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Hu Jingchen)
Zheng Wei, the head coach of the Chinese team, said at the post-match press conference that the result made her feel "so unreal" because she did not expect to win the championship before the game. Zheng Wei said that the Chinese team's preparation for this game was very difficult, there were problems such as injuries and uneven personnel, and the team gradually got on track after arriving in the competition area.
"We overcame one difficulty after another, game by game, game by game, until yesterday [the semi-final win over Australia] to play our best spirit and form. Yesterday was a very tough game, after the physical exertion, today's game started immediately, for us is a test of willpower. Zheng Wei said.
Zheng Wei believes that in the face of the well-prepared Japanese team, the Chinese players never gave up during the game, and focused on handling each attack and defense until the final victory over the opponent. "It's been 12 years since we won the [Asian Cup], and I don't think it's easy to get it this time."
On July 2, Zheng Wei, the head coach of the Chinese team, watched the game from the sidelines. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Hu Jingchen)
When reviewing the entire game, Li Meng said that the Japanese team's style of play is characterized by "small, fast, and smart", and the speed on the field has caused a lot of pressure on the Chinese team's defense, but the Chinese team holds the mentality of impacting the championship and fighting the opponent, resolutely implements the coach's deployment, fully enjoys the game on the field, and finally wins.
"I feel that I have come back to the Asian Cup through my experience in the WNBA, and I am in better shape." Li Meng said.
In the three- or four-place final earlier in the day, hosts Australia swept New Zealand 81-59 to finish third in the Asian Cup for three consecutive times since 2019.