by sportswriters Li Bowen, Su Bin and Zheng Zhi

SHENZHEN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China clinched third place at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup with a dominant 101-66 victory over South Korea on Sunday, concluding the first major tournament of its Los Angeles Olympic cycle with a bittersweet result that served as both a disappointment and a crucial learning experience.

While the team secured a podium finish, its title defense was decisively ended a day earlier in the semifinals by a sharp-shooting Japanese team, a defeat that exposed the challenges ahead of China.

The wake-up call was delivered by Japan's accurate long-range attack, led by 19-year-old point guard Kokoro Tanaka, who posted 21 points in the first quarter alone, hitting five-for-five from beyond the arc.

Japan hit 16 three-pointers in the game, shooting 47.1 percent from deep and scoring 30 more points from beyond the arc than China. The barrage exposed the defensive liabilities of China's highly anticipated "Twin Towers" lineup.

The pairing of 2.26-meter (7-foot-5) prodigy Zhang Ziyu and 2.11-meter (6-foot-11) Han Xu, dominant in the group stage against Indonesia, South Korea and New Zealand, struggled against Japan's "small, fast, and agile" style. Zhang's slower foot speed was frequently exploited to create open space, while Han was often forced to defend multiple perimeter players.

"The 'Twin Towers' lineup showed some weaknesses in limiting their three-pointers," head coach Gong Luming admitted post-game. "Their threes posed a huge threat and created a lot of trouble for us. We will learn from this and seriously think about how our big lineups can adapt to this fast-paced style."

Center Han Xu acknowledged the team's shortcomings after the loss. "Against a quick team like Japan, you need to be efficient to limit their fast breaks and threes, but our defense was not good enough," she said.

Despite the loss, Gong affirmed the team would not abandon its long-term strategy.

"We will not change our plans just because we lost this game; that would be wrong. We are preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and will continue to build on the experience gained today," Gong said.

For 18-year-old Zhang, the tournament was a glimpse of what's to come. She finished her senior team debut averaging an impressive 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. While her dominance in the paint is clear, so are the areas for improvement.

"Her potential is huge, but the public's expectations for her are too high right now," Gong said. "The overall offensive and defensive chemistry with her is still lacking... but this is a process we must go through."

The tournament was also an emotional one for Han, who broke down in a press conference after the semifinal loss. Having faced public pressure for skipping overseas leagues to focus on national team duties, she stated her intention to play abroad in the future.

"After this year's major tournaments are over, if there is an opportunity to play in an overseas league, I will do my best to fight for it," Han said.

"This might be my last time wearing the national team jersey," said China's veteran forward Huang Sijing. "Looking back on my 10 years representing China, there have been both joys and regrets, but as I reach the twilight of my career, what I feel most is pride."

Although she expressed disappointment with the team's result at the Asia Cup, Huang acknowledged the broader context. "The team is undergoing a generational transition, and we're also adapting to a new coaching philosophy. Given we've only had three months to work together, I think we've already made good progress."

As China left Shenzhen with a bronze medal instead of the desired gold, the coach framed the outcome as a necessary wake-up call. He also noted that he had picked up some tactical ideas from Japan, Australia and South Korea during the tournament - insights he said would be valuable for the development of China's younger players.

With only three months together, the new squad learned where it stands and the work required to return to the top of the podium.

"We certainly saw a lot of our own shortcomings, but the experience gained is more important for the team's future. I hope the team maintains its fighting spirit... that is the foundation for our future development," Gong added. ■