SHENZHEN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- China wrapped up its Group A games at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup with an all-winning record after an 85-51 victory over New Zealand on Wednesday, securing a direct spot in the semifinals.
Having beaten New Zealand by more than 30 points in both the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2024 Olympic qualifiers, China entered the game with a relaxed approach. Head coach Gong Luming opted to limit the minutes of key post players Zhang Ziyu and Han Xu, giving more playing time to the bench and emerging contributors.
Guard Yang Shuyu stood out with an impressive all-around performance. Taking on a playmaking role for stretches of the game, the 23-year-old delivered 12 points, three rebounds and four assists in just 16 minutes, tying for the team-high in scoring.
Yang's step-back 3-pointer and coast-to-coast Eurostep layup drew loud cheers from the Shenzhen crowd. Notably, China even executed an inbound play designed specifically for Yang, underscoring her transition from a fringe national team player to a core member of the rotation.
All 12 Chinese players scored, Zhang contributed 12 points, while Han Xu added 10 points and five rebounds.
For New Zealand, guard Tayla Dalton and forward Emilia Shearer scored nine and eight points, respectively. The 2002-born Shearer also impressed with her defensive instincts and focus, repeatedly intercepting China's high-low passes.
"New Zealand is a team with a completely different style from South Korea, whom we played yesterday, and tonight's game served as good preparation for facing Australia," said Yang after the game, adding, "Our team chemistry is improving, but we've struggled to start games well, I hope we can come out stronger in the next matches."
At the post-game press conference, China head coach Gong Luming praised several of his guards, singling out Yang for her growing role. "She will be a key forward for the national team in the future," he said.
"This team has only been playing together for three months, and building chemistry takes time. So far, I haven't seen significant changes compared to when we first assembled," Gong said.
Eyeing the upcoming knockout stage, he added, "Let the ball do the talking." ■
