China Beats Puerto Rico, Reaches Basketball Quarterfinals

China’s women’s national basketball team defeated Puerto Rico 75-72 in Berlin to advance to the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, then fell to France 61-90 in the last eight, ending a tournament run defined by a youthful squad’s resilience and its still-unresolved gaps.

The win over Puerto Rico came in the 12-into-8 play-in on September 9 local time, as Xinhua reported. Center Han Xu was named player of the match after recording a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds, including 14 points in the fourth quarter and two crucial three-pointers.

How the Game Unfolded

China led 24-21 after the first quarter and held a narrow 41-40 edge at halftime, but Puerto Rico surged ahead to take a 53-52 lead into the final period, according to Southern Metropolis Daily (Nandu). With the score tied at 66-66, Han hit a key three-pointer to steady China.

Guard Yang Shuyu delivered an all-around performance with 15 points, 11 assists and two steals, and sealed the win by making two free throws with 17 seconds remaining. Nineteen-year-old center Zhang Ziyu added 13 points, two rebounds and one block. The result kept alive China’s World Cup campaign and sent a clear message about the depth of its next generation.

A Win That Impressed the Opponent

Puerto Rico head coach Bautista was effusive afterward, as NetEase reported. “We don’t want to face them again. They’re too strong,” he said. Asked about Zhang, he joked: “Can you send her to Puerto Rico to play with our team? Because she’s really great right now.”

China head coach Gong Luming acknowledged both the progress and the problems. “Our team has very experienced guards, but overall this is still a relatively weak link,” he said, per China Youth Daily. “In the first half we played a bit constrained; in the second half we were relatively more proactive.”

The France Test

That momentum met a wall a day later. Facing Olympic silver medalists France — ranked world No. 3 and, after the group stage, No. 1 in FIBA’s power rankings — China lost 61-90, as Yangcheng Pai reported. Han again scored 21 points but could not prevent the defeat.

The scheduling burden was significant: China had finished its physical play-in against Puerto Rico only about 19 hours earlier, while France, as group winner, arrived rested. France’s pressure defense forced a low-scoring, turnover-prone night, and Zhang Ziyu was held scoreless in the first half as the French interior denied her clean catches.

Broader Context

The result reflects a team in transition. China won silver at the 2022 World Cup — its best-ever finish — but slipped at the 2024 Paris Olympics, missing the quarterfinals. Under Gong Luming, the program has accelerated a youth movement built around players like the 19-year-old Zhang. The task has not been eased by the absence of star center Li Yueru, who missed the entire tournament due to a lost passport.

China had earlier navigated a demanding Group D, losing to defending champion USA before beating the Czech Republic and defeating Italy 71-51 to finish second and enter the play-in.

What’s Next

Despite the quarterfinal exit, reaching the final eight was broadly seen as meeting the team’s goals for a rebuilding year. The squad now heads to Japan to prepare for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with the longer-term focus on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The tournament answered some questions — Han Xu’s consistency, Yang Shuyu’s leadership, Zhang Ziyu’s potential — while leaving others open, chiefly whether China can develop the perimeter scoring and guard play needed to compete with the world’s elite.