Feature: Teamwork makes China champion after 12-year wait at Women's Basketball Asia Cup

SYDNEY, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Confetti was thrown, medals were gold, and the glittering Asia Cup trophy was passed through 12 players of the China women's basketball national team and their head coach Zheng Wei, who stood together on the champions' podium to cheers and applause.

The glorious moment came after China's 73-71 decisive victory over five-time title-holder Japan on Sunday. But the scenes of jubilation had looked surreal to Zheng, as the whole team, including herself, had never expected to end a 12-year championship drought amid injuries and missing key players.

Captain Yang Liwei had suffered a left leg injury in the dying stages of the semifinal against hosts Australia, which left them with only 11 players available for their tough match against formidable Japan.

Reigning champions Japan appeared insurmountable having thrashed every opponent until the final, with an average winning margin of 35 points and hitting 14.5 three-pointers per game, as they expertly showcased their aggressive style.

With their injured captain on the bench offering support, Wang Siyu, Jin Weina, Li Meng, Pan Zhenqi, and Han Xu - a squad of 2022 World Cup silver medalists - walked onto the Quaycentre court as the starting five, primed for a litmus test with Japan.

The 101-minute rollercoaster saw 15 lead changes and the final result wasn't determined until the last five seconds when Li Meng shot two free throws and extended China's advantage to 73-68.

A last-ditch three-pointer by Japan's Stephanie Mawuli reduced the margin, but it wasn't enough as China's celebrations started with gusto.

"All of us on the bench, including the players and coaches, felt an explosion of happiness when Li Meng made those two free throws. We knew that victory was in the bag," recalled Gao Song, a veteran power forward wearing the No. 13 jersey.

As the seconds ticked down and China's title was finally assured, the anxious Chinese players on the bench shot out of their seats and dashed onto the court hugging each other.

Li Meng also walked off the court, tightly embracing Yang Liwei and lifting China's captain in her arms.

The scene was reminiscent of the China-U.S. blockbuster at the 2022 World Cup. After China's Wu Tongtong badly injured her knees, it was teammate Dilana Dilixiati that helped her off the court in a similar fashion.

Neither Wu nor Dilixiati returned to Sydney for the Asia Cup but accompanied the team in a different way.

When the Chinese players got changed and came back to the court for the medal ceremony, the red "Champions China" T-shirt that Yang Liwei was wearing caught the attention of some eagle-eyed observers.

"Wu Tongtong", "Dilana Dilixiati", "Xu Chenyan", "Wang Jiaqi". Names of those who had participated in the training camp and major players who couldn't compete due to injury were written on the shirt.

This was another callback to last year's World Cup. Li Meng, who had a high fever after scoring 23 points in a physically draining quarterfinal against France, received her silver medal in a white T-shirt also filled with handwritten names.

For China women's basketball team, teamwork is perpetually the top priority, and only in a united team can an individual's capability be multiplied. These aspiring girls care about their peers, cherish their bonds, take pride in "teamwork basketball" and call themselves "Wu Wei Jin Lan", or "Fearless Sworn Sisters".

"The spirit of China women's basketball team is that we focus on teamwork. That explains why we achieved a good result last year at the World Cup. Because we were united, we fought as a team, and then everyone could play to their advantage. When one player is not in good form, there is always someone else in the team who can help save the game," said Li Meng.

"For our team, a basketball match never relies on one person or two. Each of us plays a part," said Li, a consistent sharpshooter who also accumulated a team-high 24 assists at the Asia Cup.

During the fourth quarter of the nerve-wracking China-Japan final, when the crowd was dazzled by Li Meng's iconic three-pointer gesture, observant photographers captured the detail on her left-foot sneaker - "KEEP FIGHTING CHINA" written in neon pink.

Awarded MVP after averaging 22 points and 11.8 rebounds, Han Xu shared an identical focus on teamwork like Li Meng.

Speaking of the team's youngsters, Han said that she had full trust in her "talented, eminent and valiant" teammates and offered her support to them from inside the paint.

"As a post player like me, I want to attract more attention of the defense and create more opportunities for our team. I also encouraged all the young players on my team and helped our team to go forward," said 24-year-old Han.

China may have gone through the title undefeated, but they had to endure several speedbumps to reclaim the title of Asian champions.

Severe injuries prevented key players such as Wu Tongtong, Li Yueru and Huang Sijing from appearing on the court, while young guns in the 12-person line-up, including Luo Xinyu, Tang Yu and Yang Shuyu, represented China for the first time in a continental tournament. Meanwhile, Yang Liwei, Han Xu, and Li Meng rushed back to the team from WNBA duties.

Developing chemistry and cohesion for this newly-assembled team within a short span proved difficult for the players and their coaches.

"Actually, at the beginning of the tournament, our team was not in very good shape. Even when we competed with those teams that are not very powerful, we still ran into problems and had modest field-goal percentages," said head coach Zheng Wei. "But we overcame our difficulties one by one, and adjusted ourselves game after game."

"We always encourage the players to remember the spirit of Team China and always remind them to play together as a team, put on their mettle, and never give up," said Zheng.

China's teamwork left a deep impression on Lebanon head coach Georges El Dabbak Geagea after their opening game.

"They went by a team effort physically and focused for 40 minutes. That's the way they play in China. They were up, they were down, but they play the same tempo. So that's something really important that I believe we should learn from," he added.

At the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship for Women, Gao Song, a then-19-year-old player wearing the No. 12 jersey, grabbed the gold with her older sisters in Japan.

Twelve years later, Gao felt thrilled and grateful to help the team clinch the title despite the ups and downs.

"Our China women's basketball team always fights as a whole. While we get stuck in adversity, we never concede to difficulties. There is a 'centripetal force' drawing us closely," said Gao.

On Monday, the Chinese players departed from Sydney, Australia, on different journeys; the majority flew back to China, while Li Meng and Han Xu traveled to the United States to resume their WNBA duties.

"I have become more confident now, and so has our whole team. I think we will continue to improve ourselves step by step, work hard for every practice and get ready for bigger goals in the future," said Han.