At 2.26 meters tall and just 18 years old, basketball prodigy Zhang Ziyu is set to make waves at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen. Announced on Saturday, China's 12-player roster features Zhang alongside fellow center Han Xu, the MVP of the 2023 Women's Asia Cup.
Zhang's rise has been meteoric. In last year's FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup, she averaged an astonishing 35 points and 12.8 rebounds per game – numbers that not only propelled China to the final but also earned her tournament MVP honors. Now, she'll bring that same firepower to the senior stage as China defends its title from July 13 to 20.
The rest of the squad blends experience and youth, featuring sharpshooters Wang Siyu and Li Yuan, rising stars Yang Liwei and Yang Shuyu, and seasoned campaigners such as Zhang Ru and Huang Sijing. Together, they'll face Group A rivals South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia, kicking off their title defense against Indonesia on Sunday.
For young global fans and sports enthusiasts, Zhang's debut highlights the growing depth of women's basketball in Asia. As digital audiences tune in, keep an eye on how her towering presence and the squad's collective talent shape the road to a back-to-back crown in front of a home crowd.
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Rising star Zhang selected for China's FIBA Women's Asia Cup campaign
cgtn.com
