by sportswriters Su Bin and Zhao Jiantong
BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Returning to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after a record-tying runner-up finish, China faces a critical generational transition and needs to address its squad cohesion, offensive coordination and outside shooting to stay competitive.
The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup will be held in Berlin from September 4 to 13, featuring 16 teams. China has been drawn in Group D with defending champion the United States, Czechia and Italy.
With the return of WNBA-based center Han Xu, China finalised its World Cup roster. The squad began training in mid-April and spent more than four months in preparation, yet full-team practices were rare. Yang Shuyu and Chen Mingling, who competed in Australia's second-tier National Basketball League 1 South league, rejoined the national team in late July. Guards Wang Siyu and Li Yuan headed to Australia to play for clubs there, while several players had to balance training with academic study.
Han's late return presents tactical challenges: how quickly she can merge the team's offensive and defensive systems remains uncertain, and the absence of fellow WNBA centre Li Yueru reduces China's interior strength.
China needs smart off-ball movement to open up court space, which calls for both positioning from centers and well-timed passing from their teammates.
Also, that strength will create open looks for outside shooters, and the team's ability to convert those opportunities will weigh heavily on match results. In some recent warmup games, China's three-point shooting success rate dipped below 20 percent.
Compared with the silver-medal winning squad four years ago, the current group is younger and lacks major competition experience. China has to keep its composure against defensive pressure, reduce mistakes and limit opponents' fast breaks.
Coach Gong Luming, who took charge last year, said the young roster is gradually taking shape. "Ever since we assembled this squad, we have worked on physical conditioning, technical skills, tactics and accumulating big-game experience. Now we can see tangible progress," he said.
China will open its campaign against the United States in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup final. Seeking its fifth straight title, the U.S. roster is stacked with elite talents, including six WNBA No. 1 draft picks and multiple players who averaged over 20 points per game in the league. Even with stars A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum sidelined by injury, the U.S. remains the title favorite.
With the U.S. seemingly difficult to beat, Czechia and Italy will be China's main targets in the group stage. China beat Czechia 84-74 in the World Cup qualifiers after a hard-fought battle in March. However, Czechia center Emma Cechova, who scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in that game, will be sidelined due to injury, dealing a blow to their overall strength.
Italy's main scoring threat comes from WNBA-based forward Cecilia Zandalasini, who averaged 13.8 points in the qualifiers. China lost both warmups against Italy in August and needs to figure out ways to break Italy's pressure defense.
16 teams are divided into four groups. Group winners directly qualify for the quarterfinals, while second- and third-placed sides will compete in a qualification to quarterfinals round to decide the remaining four berths.
Over the past month, China has played a series of warmup games to face varied styles. China played three matches against Nigeria at home to simulate the U.S. game, followed by six games in Europe against five opponents to adapt to European team play and physical contact.
Gong said the team will progress step by step to build major tournament experience. "Our ultimate goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. We will give our all in every game and strive for the best possible results," he said. ■
