China finishes runner-up with unbalanced lineup in FIBA women's 3x3 opener

CHENGDU, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Chengdu stop concluded here on Saturday with China narrowly losing to Australia 18-17 in the final, securing the runner-up position in the season's opening tournament.

China, consisting of Olympic bronze medalists Wang Jiyuan and Zhang Zhiting, along with young players Chen Minglei and Chen Yujie, showcased a lineup that included only one perimeter player, an uncommon configuration in 3x3 basketball.

"This lineup is not particularly ideal because we lack enough ball handlers, so our playing style in this stop was relatively extreme," said China coach Xu Jiamin.

Due to injuries to several players, including star player Wang Lili, the team faced difficulties in selecting players who could handle the ball effectively. "Chen Yujie is the one who has recovered the best from injuries, so we used this configuration in this stop," said Xu.

In the final, China trailed by 15-7 with their hands cold from downtown. However, they did not give up on long-distance attempts and Chen Yujie became the one to break the two-point scoring drought.

With one minute on the clock, the hosts tied the game at 16-16 by making consecutive long-range shots. In the last minute, Australia took an 18-17 lead, and although China grabbed offensive rebounds multiple times during the final possession, they were unable to convert them into points.

"After yesterday's group stage match against Australia, the opponents must have studied us and noticed that Chen Yujie struggled with her outside shooting. Therefore, they were determined to give up on perimeter defense after our pick-and-roll today," explained Xu.

"Maybe our young players couldn't fully adapt to this extreme defensive strategy at the beginning and hesitated. But falling behind in the second half ignited the fighting spirit of the young players, which is a good thing."

Although Xu referred to the lineup in this stop as an "extreme strategy," she did not rule out the possibility of using this lineup at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The primary reason is that "China currently lacks abundant choices in selecting players for 3x3 women's basketball," as well as the uncertainty caused by widespread injuries.

"There is no fixed lineup in 3x3 basketball that guarantees absolute victory, as the game ultimately depends on the players," added Xu. "The overall playing system can be designed based on the personnel configuration."

Xu revealed that Wang Lili, the MVP of the previous season's FIBA 3x3 Women's Series, will make her comeback in the Wuhan stop.

"We will continue to experiment in the remaining two tournaments, testing the lineup as early as possible for any possible situations in the Olympics," she said.