Media Figures Discuss Women’s Basketball Team’s Two Consecutive Losses: Li Meng’s Poor Form Puts the Team in a Tough Spot; Prepare for the Worst

On July 31, in the second round of the women’s basketball group stage at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese women’s basketball team, which had lost its first game, faced off against the Serbian women’s basketball team. In the end, the Chinese team suffered another loss, falling 59-81 to Serbia and experiencing their second consecutive defeat, leaving their chances of advancing looking grim. Several media figures shared their views.

Jiang Fan: The excitement and joy of the Serbian women’s basketball team after beating us, and their continued efforts to secure the best possible score even when victory was already assured, can be hard to stomach… Perhaps we were somewhat mentally prepared for this state of affairs based on our pre-Olympic warm-up games, but we didn’t expect that our progress from the group stage would hinge so heavily on others. We need a big win to have any theoretical chance, but it feels surreal when you apply this familiar scenario to the women’s basketball team.

Solomon’s Servant: A crushing 22-point defeat, and the last shred of dignity for Chinese basketball is about to be stripped away.

BiPao GangBeiZhu: All I can say is that the good results the women’s basketball team has achieved in various major tournaments over the past few years have come at a cost. The Asian Games, the Asian Cup, the Universiade, the World Cup, the Olympic qualifying tournament, and now the Olympics themselves – our women’s basketball team may well be the busiest national team in world women’s basketball. The results have been impressive, but athletes are not robots, and their bodies will eventually wear out. At these Olympics, it’s clear that our physical condition is not up to par. Indeed, players like Huang Sijing, Li Meng, Yang Liwei, and Wang Siyu still have some stamina, but injuries have severely affected their form. It’s really frustrating. If we had played fewer unnecessary matches in the past couple of years, fielded a second team for the Asian Games, and given our main players a break by having them sit out less important competitions, I believe we could still have achieved something at this year’s Olympics. Unfortunately, there’s no ‘if.’ We’ve relied on the women’s team to make up for the shortcomings of the men’s team, which hasn’t performed well. But why should the women’s team bear the burden for the men’s team’s failures?

Jimengnian: A 22-point loss, and now advancing from the group stage is looking difficult. Before the Olympics, we knew there might be defensive issues, but we never imagined they would be this bad. This Chinese women’s basketball team is unfamiliar to me.

Zhang Zexin: Serbia excelled in pick-and-rolls, off-ball screens, second-chance opportunities, offensive rebounds, and full-court pressure defense. Yet, theoretically, they’re not as strong as us! So why did we lose?

Mai Sui Feng: A humiliating 22-point defeat, 59-81, to Serbia leaves the Chinese women’s basketball team with two consecutive losses. There’s not much to summarize here. The reality we must accept is that many core players on this Chinese women’s basketball team have passed their peak, whether due to injuries or declining form. The struggles we see on both offense and defense ultimately boil down to the fact that they’re getting older and can’t keep up anymore. Competitive sports follow their own laws, with peaks and troughs, and players coming and going. What we need to do is not despair, not lash out, and not denigrate them, but rather continue to support this group of players who have given us such wonderful memories as they complete their “descent.” After the Olympics this year, the Chinese women’s basketball team must begin rebuilding. My love for the Chinese women’s basketball team remains unwavering, through thick and thin.

Zhu Yi: It’s not just about Li Meng; what’s happening with the entire Chinese women’s basketball team? Have we truly passed our peak? This isn’t the Chinese women’s basketball team I know. Everyone wants to win so badly and is so anxious. It’s heartbreaking… Let’s make adjustments for the next game!

Xue Sijia: Li Meng is the linchpin of the Chinese women’s basketball team. To some extent, her importance rivals or even surpasses that of Li Yueru and Han Xu. Beyond her individual scoring ability, she is currently the player with the strongest ball-handling skills among the team’s forwards and guards. If she doesn’t regain her form, the Chinese women’s basketball team will face a tough road ahead…

SanTudaiCi: A 59-81 crushing defeat has put the Chinese women’s basketball team in a precarious position, dependent on mathematical calculations, but the prerequisite is winning the next game. With a net point differential of -23 after two games, the losses have been significant. And based on Puerto Rico’s performance in their first two games, the final match won’t be easy either. We’re now in the worst-case scenario we envisioned before the start of the competition. Let’s prepare for the worst.