The Chinese women's basketball team's rest room.
"Electrolyte water, towels, ice packs, pain relief spray, muscle tape, spare headbands, wristbands, tablets, translators..." Logistics teacher Liu Hong checked the supplies for the competition one last time before feeling at ease.
Zeng Ling and the women's basketball team formed a circle.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Loud cheers echoed in the lounge.
The announcement of "China" on the stadium screen was clear and loud.
That was the signal for the Chinese team players to enter the game.
Luo Yan (No. 1), Lu Yu (No. 6), Weng Pei (No. 7), Zhang Fan (No. 9), Ren Qiqi (No. 10), Yu Mengmeng (No. 13), Liu Min (No. 14), Zhu Ying (No. 17), Du Xianglan (No. 19), Sun Meng (No. 20), Ji Yun (No. 24), and Chu Feiyu (No. 27) filed in as their numbers and names were read over the loudspeaker.
The sea of red on the field gave it an unreal feel.
Lu Yu took a deep breath, and the sound of her heart beating was even louder than the cacophony of her thoughts.
The ten-minute warm-up time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
The commentators were also extremely nervous.
"Hello everyone, this is the live broadcast of the women's basketball quarterfinals at the Olympics, featuring China against Japan. I'm your commentator, Liu Du. Today, we've invited our old friends, former national team head coach Feng Xu and former national team captain Meng Xiaotong, to provide live commentary for this game." Liu Du's voice seemed to pulsate with excitement.
"Hello everyone, I am Feng Xu."
"Hello everyone, I am Meng Xiaotong."
"I can tell you two are very nervous, even your introductions are so brief," Liu Du said. "Today we're playing against the Japanese team, who were the runners-up in the women's basketball event at the last Olympics. Could you two help us analyze today's game?"
“The Japanese team is a very flexible team now, and they have performed very well in the group stage. In particular, their number 13 player, Keiko Kitagawa, is the team's shooting guard. Her step-back jump shot has a very high success rate. If our Chinese team uses one-on-one defense, then the opposing defender will need to be very careful.” Feng Xu’s mindset gradually returned as he analyzed the tactics.
Meng Xiaotong continued, "Based on the Chinese team's formation in the group stage, they will most likely be marking the same players in the same positions. This means that Weng Pei will have to focus a lot of her energy on defense. The most difficult player for the Japanese team to deal with is number 13, Keiko Kitagawa, who is also the biggest variable in this game."
"The two of you have analyzed things very clearly. Now it's up to our women's basketball team to respond to this game. The warm-up is over now, and we are announcing today's starting lineup." Liu Du introduced the starting lineup one by one, following the rhythm of the game. "Player number 1, center Luo Yan. Luo Yan is also the captain of our women's basketball team. Fans who often follow our Chinese women's basketball team will definitely be familiar with Luo Yan. Her hook shot is unstoppable."
Seeing Liu Du stop speaking, Feng Xu took over the commentary, "Next up is China's starting power forward, number 24, Ji Yun. She's a young player, but her rebounding and offensive penetration abilities are excellent, and she's performed very well in the league. Most importantly, as a power forward, she can directly take on the role of center. Speaking of which, this year's main players in the Chinese women's basketball team are all swingmen; the center Luo Yan I just mentioned also plays power forward."
Next up is player number 20, small forward Sun Meng. Sun Meng is also a swingman. Swingmen are a rare breed because they differ from the typical swingman. Like power forwards and centers, whose positions are somewhat ambiguous, small forwards and point guards focus on very different areas. Small forwards need to penetrate the paint, requiring strong core strength, superior jumping ability, and hang time. Point guards, on the other hand, need strong defensive skills and the ability to orchestrate the offense, demanding high levels of speed and ball-handling technique. Therefore, this level of dual-role skill is very difficult, but the benefits to the team are also very significant.
Feng Xu spoke quickly, trying his best to explain things clearly from a technical perspective.
Meng Xiaotong continued in perfect unison, "The fourth player to take the court is number 6, Lu Yu, the team's point guard. Lu Yu went through a relatively long period of slump, but her return to the court has amazed everyone with her performance in all aspects. Fans who watched this year's Women's Basketball League will definitely remember her. On the court, she can not only organize the offense, but also shoot three-pointers at any time. She performs exceptionally well in both the point guard and shooting guard positions, becoming a dazzling combo guard on the court, and also winning the league's Finals MVP."
The last player to take the court was number 7, Weng Pei, a shooting guard who can also play point guard. Weng Pei's dribbling rhythm is unique; it's not just about speed, but also the timing of her changes of direction, which are difficult for opponents to predict. Today, Weng Pei will be facing off against Japan's Keiko Kitagawa, and she must be on edge. Weng Pei, Lu Yu, and Luo Yan are from the golden generation of players in the previous Olympic cycle, possessing experience in major competitions. Ji Yun and Sun Meng are participating in the Olympics for the first time, and they may need some time to adjust mentally.
"Yes." After Meng Xiaotong introduced all the players, Liu Du summarized, "Today is the first time that the Chinese team has started with its full strength. It seems that Coach Zeng is preparing to stabilize the situation as soon as possible. The knockout stage is a situation where every point must be fought for and no one can relax for a moment. This game will definitely be very exciting."
A long whistle blew out on the field.
The referee is already standing at the kickoff point.
The players from the two teams, dressed in red and white jerseys respectively, stood in their respective positions, waiting for the whistle to sound.
"call--"
"suck--"
Luo Yan adjusted her breathing and slightly lowered her center of gravity.
"Swoosh—"
The whistle blows.
Luo Yan jumped with great force—
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