BERLIN (AP) — China’s Zhang Ziyu had everyone looking up to her on the opening day of the Women’s Basketball World Cup on Friday.
The 19-year-old Zhang is 7-foot-3 (2.21 meters) and gave the United States a tough physical challenge to overcome in the four-time defending champion's opening 94-61 victory at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.
Zhang is taller than basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and just an inch shorter than San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
The 6-3 (1.91m) Aliyah Boston looked small in comparison as she stubbornly held her ground to hold Zhang scoreless in the first quarter. Kiki Iriafen, also 6-3 (1.91m), took her turn later as the American defense focused on limiting the damage Zhang could cause over the 18 minutes she played.
“There’s not much you can do to stop her when she gets it really close to the basket,” U.S. coach Kara Lawson said. “She was really efficient from the free throw line as well.”
There was a buzz of excitement any time Zhang appeared on court and ultimately the teenager finished with 13 points on her worlds debut, nine of those from free throws.
“I would give her a pass,” China coach Gong Luming said in translated comments. “It’s excellent, pass or fail, so pass. As a young player to play against such great level of intensity and physicality, she’s doing OK.”
Lawson was more forthcoming with her praise.
“We had a hard time and she got too close, and she makes you pay with that. So I think there’s a lot of upside to her,” the coach said. "She’s still a very young player but I think to be this young and to be in a World Cup and to go against the top players is only going to help her continue to grow.”
Zhang had support from 6-10 (2.09m) Han Xu, already familiar to the U.S. team from her WNBA games with the New York Liberty.
If not for a passport mishap, Zhang and Han would have been joined by another center — 6-7 (2.01m) Li Yueru, who plays with the WNBA's Dallas Wings. Li posted on social media Wednesday that her passport was lost in the mail and she won’t be able to compete.
Han finished with 11 points including one three-pointer.
Zhang did individual exercises with a personal trainer while the rest of the team warmed up on the court before Friday’s game.
Gong said the player needed a special training regime because of her physical attributes.
“She’s a very special and unique player with her size so she probably cannot have the same warmup routine with everybody else running the layup, passing, so the coaching team designed her own program for her to warm up and keep her fit and ready for the game,” the coach said.
Zhang missed China’s pre-tournament warmup against France on Tuesday and wasn’t practicing during the brief time slots open to media Wednesday and Thursday.
“She has (a) big body and tall girl, and she needs some time to rest a little bit,” Han told the Associated Press on Wednesday, alluding to her personalized training regime.
Zhang wasn’t playing when the U.S. beat China 83-61 in the 2022 World Cup final in Sydney for a fourth consecutive gold medal. She made her senior debut at the Women’s Asia Cup last year and helped China capture the bronze, averaging 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in the tournament.
Han praised her performance at that tournament and said she was now ready to step onto the world stage.
“World Cup is a good moment for her, for the whole world to know her,” Han said. “I am so excited to play with her again.”
Both of Zhang’s parents played basketball and it was her mother who encouraged her to take up the sport.
As one of the oldest players in the Chinese roster at 26, Han takes on the responsibly of looking out for her younger teammates. She pointed out that Zhang is still “very young” and just starting her career.
“She’s a little girl, you know, like the heart is soft,” she said.
Few expect China to go further than it did in 2022, with France and Australia expected to be the most likely challengers to the U.S. But Zhang's introduction gave the Chinese an extra weapon they didn't have four years ago.
China next plays the Czech Republic on Sunday.
___ AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.
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