Kolkata: France beat China 90-61 in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup quarter-final and are through to the semi-finals.
France applied their usual physicality and intensity to the game and were clinical in everything they did to come away from the match with the win. They will face hosts Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
France took the initiative from the start of the match and moved the ball well, repeatedly exploiting weaknesses in China’s defence. Their strength on the ball, combined with attacks out of possession, proved too much for China to handle.
France kept up the pressure and increased their lead in the game as the match wore on, finishing top of the quarter-final pile. China’s attack was not able to cope with the French intensity and France’s efforts did not diminish throughout the game.
Marine Johannes was France’s highest scorer, collecting 15 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds. Her shooting and playmaking ability was vital to France’s efforts, with the French side looking to pierce China’s defence.
Johannes has been one of France’s most reliable scorers at the tournament, netting 17 points in each of France’s three group games before another excellent display in the quarter-final.
France also received support throughout their ranks, helping them to keep up their intensity as the game moved beyond China’s control.
Han Xu was China’s top scorer with 21 points, 9 Rebounds and 1 assist, while Shuyu Yang scored 19 points for them.
For China, the quarter-final was a disappointing end to the campaign for Zhang Ziyu, the 19-year-old centre whose towering 2.23-metre (7-foot-4-inch) frame has attracted considerable attention at the World Cup.
Zhang scored 7 points and pulled down 8 rebounds in the 89-65 loss to France. While her height presented a different challenge to the French defenders, they were able to contain her effectively without allowing China to build an effective inside game.
Zhang’s exploits in Berlin have generated much interest and she has emerged as one of the promising young talents in women’s basketball.
The win is a huge success for France, who were Olympic silver medalists in Paris in 2024 and two-time European champions, making the World Cup semifinals for the first time since their bronze medal performance in 1953.
France will face Germany in the semis after defeating the host nation of Belgium 93-74. It will be a huge match for France, which came off a big win, and Germany, which stunned reigning European champions Belgium in the previous round.
Final Score
China 61–90 France
France will face Germany in the semi-final, while the other semi-final will feature the USA against the winner of the remaining quarter-final.
