Form Heating Up! Li Meng Nets Three-pointers, Tops Team in Points, Rebounds, and Assists

On August 3rd, in the final round of the Olympic women’s basketball group stage, the Chinese women’s basketball team secured a significant 80-58 victory over Puerto Rico, keeping their hopes of advancing alive.

In this match, Puerto Rico took an early lead with a precise three-pointer. However, the Chinese women’s team responded with a 7-0 run to take the lead, limiting their opponents to just 11 points in the first quarter. The Chinese team then started the second quarter strongly, extending their lead into double digits. Both teams fought fiercely around this gap, with China leading by 11 points at halftime. In the second half, China maintained control of the game, with their defensive performance being particularly crucial. In the final quarter, the Chinese team once again took charge, increasing their lead to 20 points. Ultimately, China secured a decisive win against Puerto Rico, earning their first victory and moving up to third place in the group with a point differential of -1, significantly improving their chances of advancing.

Li Meng’s form improved in this game. She hit two consecutive three-pointers right from the start, scoring 10 points in the first half. Throughout the entire game, Li Meng played for 36 minutes, shooting 4-of-14 overall, 3-of-8 from three-point range, and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, tallying a team-high 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, along with 1 steal, 4 turnovers, and 3 fouls. Her plus-minus rating of +18 was the highest on the team. Although her overall shooting percentage wasn’t high, she had crucial scores from beyond the arc, indicating that her touch is improving—a positive sign for the Chinese women’s basketball team.