Fiba Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022: China give US a run for their money in front of watching Yao Ming
- China push three-time defending champions hard, but must wait to secure progress to quarter-finals
- ‘It was a big difference from the first two games. Our players will learn a lot from this game,’ says coach Zheng Wei
China may have suffered their first loss at the 2022 Fiba Women’s Basketball World Cup on Saturday, but they gave three-time defending champions the United States a run for their money in front of watching NBA legend Yao Ming.
The US triumphed 77-63 in Sydney, Australia, securing progression from Pool A and a place in the quarter-finals with a 25th consecutive win in the competition – a run dating back to 2010.
China are still well placed to progress themselves, and certainly put in a good showing, especially with the Americans boosted by the return of WNBA championship-winning trio Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson.
US coach Cheryl Reeve praised her team’s defence, which stymied a China side who had hit the century mark in their previous wins against South Korea and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Our defence continues to be stellar. We were hard to play against and that’s our identity,” she said.
Li Meng – with 21 points – and Wang Siyu with 17 points, led a gritty China, who fell to a 2-1 record.