Team China's hoop heroes end wait for Asia Cup glory

The same excitement was shared by Li Meng, dubbed "Li-Bron" by fans in reference to her idol LeBron James.

"It took 12 years for us to return to the summit of Asian hoops. All our sweat and hard work paid off," said Li Meng, who plays for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.

"There's still a long journey ahead for this team and more challenges await us. We need to maintain our belief and keep fighting. I'm also really happy to be named on the All-Star Five. It's a huge confidence boost for my career. I will try even harder, so that I can live up to all of your expectations."

Wang Siyu also proved to be a clutch performer for Team China, finishing with 17 points in the final to cap a highly impressive tournament for the 27-year-old.

"Li Meng, Han Xu and Wang Siyu are all world-class stars now. And to win at any major global tournament, a team needs stars like them. Even with the absence of some core players, Team China still managed to defeat Japan and reclaim the Asia Cup after 12 years. These Chinese girls have achieved big!" basketball commentator Yang Yi wrote on social media.

The victory thrilled Chinese fans online, with the final attracting huge media attention and the hashtag "Team China wins Asia Cup "racking up an incredible 150 million views on Weibo just an hour after the triumph.