Players of China are seen before the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's women's basketball team closed out the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a bronze medal on Saturday, beating Chinese Taipei 77-64.
China started aggressively but struggled from long range, making just one of 10 3-point attempts in the first half as the two sides went into the break tied at 36.
The game turned in the third quarter, when China increased its defensive intensity and began feeding 2.23-meter center Zhang Ziyu inside. A series of plays built around Zhang helped China pull away and establish a double-digit lead.
Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting tried to keep her team within reach, but Luo Xinyu, Tang Ziting and Zhang Manman all knocked down 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to secure the victory for China.
Chen Mingling led China with 20 points, while Zhang Ziyu and Luo Xinyu added 14 and 12 respectively. Lin scored a team-high 15 points for Chinese Taipei, and Chen Yen-yu added 11.
China finished four of 16 from beyond the arc, a marked improvement from its 0-for-13 performance in the semifinal. "We only put up 13 threes yesterday, compared to their 40," Yang Shuyu said after the bronze medal match. "If you want them to go in, you have to keep shooting."
Head coach Gong Luming reflected on the team's campaign at the post-game press conference, acknowledging that China had missed its target but taking pride in what the young squad had gained.
"We came here to win gold, and we didn't get it," he said. "But for a young team like this one, chasing a shared goal together means something. There's disappointment, sure, but I think the players will walk away with real lessons from both the World Cup and the Asian Games." ■
Gong Luming (L), head coach of China, instructs during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Zhang Ziyu (L) of China goes to the basket during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Zhang Ziyu (L) of China goes to the basket during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Chen Mingling (L) of China goes to the basket during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Players of China are seen before the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Zhang Ziyu (C) of China goes to the basket during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
Wang Siyu of China gestures during the women's bronze medal match between China and Chinese Taipei at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)
