Chinese Women's Basketball Team Falls to Japan in FIBA Asia Cup Semifinal

In the FIBA Women's Asia Cup semifinal held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the Chinese women's national basketball team experienced a heart-wrenching loss to Japan, finishing the game 81-90. As they prepare for a third-place matchup against South Korea, the Chinese team initially gained momentum by leading at halftime, 51-49, despite starting the game behind due to a strong performance from Japan's Kororo Tanaka, who hit five three-pointers.

The Chinese squad made a strategic move by bringing in their tall duo, 18-year-old Zhang Ziyu at 2.26 meters and 25-year-old Han Xu, to attempt to close an eight-point deficit in the final quarter. Unfortunately, Japan's exceptional perimeter shooting proved to be too much, leading to a disappointing outcome for China. Earlier in June, the Chinese team had achieved victory against Japan in two warm-up games, although Japan was missing some key players, such as Maki Takada and Ramu Tokashiki, during those matches. Notably, China had previously captured the Asia Cup title in 2023 after defeating Japan, marking a significant achievement after a 12-year drought without a championship.