China's Zhang Zhiting (L) drives the ball against Australia's Marena Whittle during the FIBA 3X3 World Cup women's 3rd place match between China and Australia in Vienna, Austria, June 4, 2023. (Photo by Georges Schneider/Xinhua)

China's women's team fell to a 21-20 loss to Australia, courtesy of a last-second shot in the third-place game at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup on Sunday.

Due to Zhang Yi's absence stemming from a knee injury sustained in the semifinal against the United States, China had only three players to vie for the bronze medal.

Despite being a player short, China executed a smart and strategic game, conserving energy and maintaining a 20-17 lead by scoring from afar. However, Australia's Marena Whittle made the ultimate difference with two 2-point shots, overturning the game and securing victory.

The Chinese players contested that Whittle's final shot was taken out of the 12-second shooting window, but the referees upheld the end results.

"It's challenging to play such a tough game with only three players, but our desire to win was strong," said Wan Jiyuan. "Victory would have been a huge honor."

Xu Jiamin, the head coach of China's team, conveyed to Xinhua that a situation with only three players on court calls for unique strategies and tactics. "They need to control the tempo, play a bit slower to conserve energy for shooting efficiency, and figure out simple scoring opportunities," Xu explained.

"We did as much preparation as we could, but unpredictable incidents always occur. A bit more luck would have helped," said Xu. "That's 3x3 basketball for you."

In the final, the United States claimed the gold by defeating defending champions France 16-12.

In the men's category, Serbia further bolstered their World Cup credentials, capturing their sixth title in only eight editions after defeating the U.S. 21-19 in the final. Latvia overcame Brazil 22-12 to claim the bronze medal. 

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