Hooping to win when it matters most

Beaten up, yet always fighting to rise when it matters.

That's how Team China managed to win a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup, and how it expects to pull off a similar comeback from warm-up defeats to peak at the right time in Paris.

After winning only two of its last 11 exhibition games, the Chinese women's team boarded its flight to Paris on Tuesday morning, taking with it a lot to reflect on from a tough warm-up series, which has raised concerns among fans and pundits alike about its Olympic prospects in the French capital.

The team, however, remains upbeat, as head coach Zheng Wei reiterated that the losses in the buildup should be kept in perspective.

"We are not preparing to win before the Olympics, but to win when we have to during the Games," Zheng said in Beijing on Saturday, just four days after the team returned from Australia following a month-long overseas training program.

"Despite the results, we've had a lot of gains during our exhibition trips. We've been getting used to the pace, intensity and physicality of international competition, and we've studied our main rivals from Europe up close.

"I think we've made the best of the quality drills provided by these warm-ups, and we will make the final two weeks count in order to be ready when the first game tips off in Paris," said Zheng, a member of China's silver-winning team at the 1994 world championship.

After losing to both Australia and Japan twice at home last month, Team China continued testing its young roster the hard way, conceding five more defeats over the past four weeks to European heavyweights, such as Serbia and Spain, as well as Australia again.

The absence of several key players, including its lead scorer at the 2022 World Cup, Li Meng, and former WNBA center Han Xu, has cost Team China dearly in terms of strength, especially in offense, during the warm-up series. Yet, the team has embraced it as a grind to improve its second unit under pressure.

"Yes, we did have to play without our complete roster and, sometimes, had to play mismatches in key positions on the court," Zheng said.

"We were not just waiting for our main players to recover, though. We pushed our younger reserves to the frontline, and they had a great learning experience trying to keep up with the pace and intensity at the international level."

Tall order

After the men's team failed to qualify for the Olympics for a second consecutive Games, the Chinese women's squad has to stand tall and bear the hopes of the hoops-loving nation alone in the five-a-side game in Paris.

Its winning momentum at recent major tournaments, including a silver medal at the 2022 World Cup and last year's Asia Cup victory, has grown expectations for a third podium finish in Paris since its runner-up finish at the 1992 Games and a third-place run at the team's Olympic debut in 1984.

This time around, though, it seems like a long shot, with FIBA placing China only sixth on its official power rankings for the Olympics, which analyses each team's roster, recent results and draws.

Drawn in Group A of the 12-team Olympic tournament, Team China will open its pool-stage campaign against Spain on July 28, followed by Serbia three days later, with a final group game against Puerto Rico on Aug 3. The top-two teams in each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed sides, advance into the quarterfinals.

"This is, in fact, a wake-up call. Not quite panic alarm level, but not far away," FIBA wrote in its power rankings assessment of Team China published on Saturday.

"Yes, they've missed a few big names, but they've not looked like a team that won silver at the Women's Basketball World Cup in 2022 and won the Women's Asia Cup in 2023."

However, the team remains motivated to defy the odds, drawing confidence from its strength in size and chemistry, once it has its full roster back in play.

There was good news over the weekend, as Li, its prolific forward, rejoined the scrimmage in training, having recovered from a knee injury, while another starter, power forward Li Yueru, returned from her WNBA tenure with the Los Angeles Sparks to complete Team China's 12-member Olympic roster.

Two more tune-up games, against the host France, will play a critical role in helping every piece of the Team China puzzle fit together, and the team's game will be up to the Olympic standards on time, said captain Yang Liwei.

"The warm-up series has laid a solid foundation for us, pushing us to improve a lot at playing under pressure and in hostile situations, even without the results going our way," said Yang, the team's starting point guard.

"Losing before the Olympics is not a bad thing, as our goal is to start winning when the real business starts."

The return of Li Yueru, who has averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 22 regular season games for the Sparks this year, is expected to restore China's strength in the paint, together with Han, a 2.07-meter center with a versatile skillset, shooting range and an agility beyond her size.

Their strong presence under the rim, coupled with Li Meng's firepower on the wing, will open up more space beyond the arc, easing the defensive pressure on the shooters, enabling them to nail more 3s than they did in the warm-ups, Yang explained.

Han, who also plied her trade in the WNBA from 2019-23, said she's all-in and ready to give her best on both ends of the floor.

"I've grown into a better player, for sure, with the past few years' experience competing in the WNBA and on the international stage," said Han, the 2019 first-round pick by the New York Liberty.

"I am a versatile player who can do a lot of things in different positions on the court. I am eager to shoulder more responsibilities in defense and offense, whenever possible."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn