China’s women’s 3×3 basketball team concluded the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, as runners-up after a narrow 18-17 loss to Australia on Saturday.
The team featured an unconventional lineup, comprising Wan Jiyuan and Zhang Zhiting, who both participated in the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in 2021, and Chen Mingling and Chen Yujie, who played at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 2023. Of the four, only Chen Yujie is a perimeter player, making the lineup rare in 3×3 basketball.
Despite a strong rebounding advantage, China’s poor shooting form contributed to their loss against Australia. “We didn’t have a reasonable squad and lacked enough perimeter players,” said China’s coach Xu Jiamin after the game. “We chose an extreme style of playing in Chengdu. Of all the injured players, Chen Yujie recovered the fastest. That’s why we chose this roster.”
Coach Xu expressed her satisfaction with the team’s fighting spirit. “I’m glad to see the players were motivated to work harder after trailing in the game,” she said, praising their determination.
Looking ahead, Xu did not rule out the possibility of using a similar lineup at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. “There is no regular, inflexible squad that can beat everyone in 3×3 basketball,” she noted. “It’s always about specific players. The team’s system and style can be redesigned based on the players.”
China secured the bronze medal in women’s 3×3 basketball at the Tokyo Olympics. Wang Lili, a key member of that team, may return for the next stop of the series in Wuhan, Hubei Province, at the end of June.
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China finish FIBA women's 3×3 Chengdu as runners-up with extreme squad
cgtn.com
