BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) — Arriving in Hangzhou having gained the 2023 Asian Cup and completed runner-up within the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, China’s ladies’s basketball crew is on a secure upward trajectory. Winning gold on the Hangzhou Asian Games to consolidate this momentum is undoubtedly the crew’s objective.
In Hangzhou, 12 ladies’s basketball groups will compete, with the highest eight groups within the FIBA Asia rankings and the highest 4 from the Asian Games qualifiers divided into three teams. After 18 group stage matches, the highest two groups from every group and the 2 greatest third-placed groups will advance to the knockout stage.
China are grouped with Indonesia, India and Mongolia in Group A, with their opponents having respective FIBA rankings of 51, 67 and 91, which means China are sizzling favorites to complete first within the group.
China’s roster for the Asiad was based mostly on their Asia Cup lineup. WNBA gamers Han Xu and Li Meng have returned to China for the match, and nationwide crew starters Li Yueru and Huang Sijing, who missed the Asia Cup resulting from harm, have recovered. Additionally, promising younger expertise Luo Xinyu, who shone on the Asia Cup, has as soon as once more made the nationwide crew. Head coach Zheng Wei’s crew is now well-rounded and has nice cohesion.
Japan and South Korea stay the principle contenders within the knockout stage for China. Despite China’s greater world rating in comparison with ninth-ranked Japan and South Korea (ranked thirteenth), the hole shouldn’t be important, as China narrowly defeated Japan to win the Asia Cup by simply two factors.
Japan, who completed runner-up on the Tokyo Olympics, will discipline a robust lineup led by Maki Takada, Monica Okoye, Saki Hayashi and Himawari Akaho, all of whom participated in Tokyo. Although Group B’s Japan might not be tall in stature, their exterior capturing and velocity in driving to the basket may pose a problem for Zheng’s aspect.
After a disappointing loss to Australia within the Asia Cup quarterfinal, South Korea started a coaching camp in July. For the Asian Games, the crew’s roster has seen little change in comparison with the Asia Cup, with just one participant new participant among the many 12 chosen. Players like Kim Dan-bi and shooter Kang Lee-seul, who’re effectively acquainted with China, are on the roster. Park Ji-su, who scored 22 factors in opposition to China within the Asia Cup, may be a menace within the paint.
For China, aside from understanding the taking part in kinds of key opponents and adapting accordingly, accidents which have occurred ceaselessly lately throughout main tournaments and league matches might be a hidden concern. If they’ll keep their well being, China have a robust probability of clinching victory in Hangzhou, with Mongolia set to be their first opponents.