Invisible Hero! Zhang Ru Locks Down the Top Scorer in the Second Half, Fouling Out in a Dedicated Performance

On August 3rd, the Paris Olympic Women’s Basketball Group Stage continued. The Chinese Women’s Basketball Team secured a significant 80-58 victory over Puerto Rico, ensuring their third-place ranking in the group with a substantial point differential, thus enhancing their prospects for advancing.

The Chinese and Puerto Rican teams both entered this match with two losses each. The winner would secure third place in the group and retain hopes of advancing. However, victory alone was not enough; a significant point differential was also needed. The Chinese team displayed a markedly different spirit from their previous matches, leading by 11 points at halftime and extending their advantage in the second half to ultimately win by 22 points, gaining the upper hand for advancement.

Beyond the excellent performances of Li Meng, Li Yueru, Wang Siyu, and others, Zhang Ru also played a crucial role. Starting the game and playing for 21 minutes, she scored 4 points (1 of 4 shooting) with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal—modest numbers on the surface. However, her defense in the second half proved decisive.

In the first half, Puerto Rico’s top scorer, Gilantes, scored 15 points, more than half of her team’s total, and caused considerable damage. In the second half, the Chinese team adjusted their defensive strategy, assigning the tall Zhang Ru to guard Gilantes. Zhang Ru effectively neutralized Gilantes, who only managed 5 points in the second half with low shooting accuracy. Overall, Gilantes shot just 6 of 23, including a meager 1 of 8 from three-point range. Zhang Ru fouled out late in the game after committing five fouls. Her defense was key to China’s victory, making her an invisible hero of the match.