Unexpected joy, the beginning of potential
Coach Wang Guizhi may be the first to witness this potential. Initially, her use of Zhang Ziyu was limited to "try it out", and the ball was not tilted too much in the game time and key moments.
However, Zhang Ziyu's perfect performance of 9 shots in the first game was like a lightning bolt that illuminated the eyes of the coaching staff.
This was the beginning of the youngster's superb, not only proving her worth, but also showing her astonishing sheer dominance on the pitch.
The ruler of the Asian arena
The stage of the Asian Youth Championship brings together the best in Asia. Here, Zhang Ziyu has become a bridge connecting opponents at different levels.
Facing a world-class Australia, she is the key to the Chinese team's competition; When encountering Asian powerhouses Japan and Korea, she ensured the competitiveness of the Chinese team; And for teams such as Indonesia, her presence has almost become the tamper.
The emotion of the coach of the Korea women's basketball team is undoubtedly the best footnote to Zhang Ziyu's strength - without Zhang Ziyu, the Korea team may have a chance to defeat the Chinese team.
Strength analysis: The giant beast under the basket, the future can be expected
Zhang Ziyu's basket is like an insurmountable fortress. In the baseline ball strategy, her ability to score directly is superb, as if the basket is in the palm of her hand.
When she gets her footing under the basket, whether it's a frontal attack or a half-turn shot, the opponent can only sigh.
Coupled with her excellent free-throw touch and mid-range shooting skills, Zhang Ziyu's dominance under the basket has reached unprecedented heights.
Of course, every gemstone has something to be carved, and so does Zhang Ziyu. She needs to further strengthen her core and expand her offensive tools under the basket to deal with opponents of similar height and equal strength.
However, these challenges are not insurmountable, and as she progresses to training, she is bound to take a qualitative leap forward.
From Asian superstar to world stage
On an Asian scale, Zhang Ziyu is already a dominant player. And at her current growth rate, it seems that being selected for the national team in 2025 and becoming an absolute superstar in the WCBA is no longer an unattainable dream.
The more ambitious goal is to embark on the journey of the WNBA, follow in the footsteps of her predecessor Zheng Haixia, and become another banner of Chinese basketball on the international stage.
Zhang Ziyu's story is not only a narrative about talent and hard work, but also a hymn to dreams and pursuits. In the world of basketball, she is using her sweat and talent to write a glorious chapter belonging to a new generation.