Fresh from leading China to its first FIBA Women's Basketball Asia Cup title in 12 years, coach Zheng Wei is keen to keep her side's triumph in perspective.

However, she admits that many aspects of her injury-hit team's run to glory in Australia show it is becoming a much tougher and resilient force on the biggest stages.

China beats hosts Australia 74-60 during the 2023 FIBA Women's Asia Cup match at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia, on July 1, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

China beat archrival Japan, the winner of the previous five editions of the Asia Cup, 73-71 in the final on July 2. The victory delivered Team China its first trophy in the tournament since 2011, and followed its runner-up finish at last year's FIBA Women's World Cup, which also took place in Sydney.

"Mentality played a key role in our winning performance this time," Zheng told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"After what we experienced at the World Cup, we have become more tenacious. Although we encountered some difficulties before and during the Asia Cup, we are maturing by battling through these situations," said Zheng.

Overcoming adversity

With several players missing through injuries, Zheng admitted she "never expected to win the title".

"When we assembled for our Asia Cup preparations, we were without eight players that we had at the World Cup," Zheng recalled.

China's primary goal at the Asia Cup was to secure a top-four finish and thereby book a spot in the qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics.

"Many things were uncertain at that time, as we didn't have all our players available during our preparations. After arriving in Sydney, we finally had our complete Asia Cup roster," said Zheng.

China's confidence had taken a hit due to losses in warm-up games in Europe to Belgium, Spain, and France, all semifinalists at this year's FIBA Women's EuroBasket.

"Continually losing definitely hurts your confidence and mentality as you doubt whether you can overcome this. But at the same time, our reserve players gained experience against those strong sides," Zheng said.

"But after we arrived in Sydney, we didn't have enough time to reflect on our losses as the Asia Cup was just around the corner."

China's lack of training time together was apparent in the disjointed performances in the group matches, with the team needing to come through overtime to dispatch South Korea.

"We were not in good form in the group stage and tried to build our chemistry along the way. But these three group matches allowed us to pinpoint and sort out our problems," Zheng said.

Indeed, China gradually moved through the gears, seeing off host Australia in their semifinal and peaking in the title showdown against Japan.

"Before the semifinal, we regrouped mentally, with an emphasis on showcasing our fighting spirit and focusing on the process. After winning that match, I felt that our confidence was back," explained Zheng, whose team had lost to the Aussies in a pre-tournament warm-up game.

A leg injury to captain Yang Liwei late in the semifinal dealt China a fresh setback and forced another tactical rethink from Zheng.

"As we had not won the Asia Cup for 12 years, I think those veterans in particular really wanted to win it badly, and didn't want to miss the chance again this time," she said.

"Despite Yang's absence, everyone else stepped up and we managed to contain our opponents through our defense and still play our own game as well. It was quite tough."

Zheng was particularly heartened by her players' grit and determination when things weren't quite going to plan.

"We felt a bit down after losing so many matches, but if you don't experience this, you might always think of yourself as the runner-up at the World Cup," she added.

"Every day we encountered new problems, and we tried to solve them."

Team China continued to look like a work-in-progress in the early stages of the final, but Zheng's interval team talk galvanized her troops.

"At halftime, I told them to keep coolheaded and stick to their style. From the third quarter on, we were more patient and relied on teamwork. The game was then basically in our control," she said.

Zheng was also pleased with the players' cohesion in the face of the team's many challenges.

"Those playing overseas or carrying injuries came back to the national team without any hesitation. Whether starting the game or sitting on the bench, playing offense or defense, they always served the needs of the team," she said.

Step-by-step approach

China tested several young players at the Asia Cup, with Zheng giving that experiment a resounding thumbs-up.

"When we were training in Europe, because we were not sure about the condition of our foreign-based or injured players, we decided to test our reserves, aiming to improve their level and help them gain experience. During the Asia Cup, everyone on the court showed their worth," Zheng said.

Despite the significant achievements of the last two years, Zheng still sees plenty of room for improvement for her team.

"We will review our Asia Cup campaign, identify our weaknesses, and try to fix them in our upcoming training sessions," she said.

The team will reassemble on July 16 to begin preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be staged from Sept 23 to Oct 8.

"As Han Xu and Li Meng are continuing with their WNBA duties, and some players are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, we need to concentrate on training the young players," Zheng said.

"Now we are the Asian champions, but I have to say that Asian competitions are tough, and we are no longer so sure of emerging victorious like in the past. Therefore, we should focus on our daily training and fight for the best result at the Asian Games," she added.

"We will move forward step by step, and fulfill our goals one at a time. The Asian Games are our top priority now, then Olympic qualification, and finally the Paris Games."

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