Zhang Ziyu, a rising star in women's basketball, stands out with her impressive height of 2.26 meters, making a significant impact on the court.

Just a couple of days ago, my wife, who typically shows little interest in basketball, suddenly asked me if Zhang Ziyu is really 2.26 meters tall. I assured her that she is, just like Yao Ming, and that Zhang Ziyu is only 18 years old.

Currently, Zhang Ziyu is participating in warm-up matches with the national women's team, and short videos frequently capture her dominating defenders by at least 20 to 30 centimeters, creating a remarkable scene that feels like adults playing against children.

In her debut with the national team, she played against Bosnia and led the team to an 18-0 start, ultimately securing a 46-point victory. Zhang Ziyu played 12 minutes off the bench, scoring 18 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. In the two warm-up matches against Bosnia, she played a total of 27 minutes, scoring 34 points and collecting 14 rebounds. The Bosnian head coach remarked, “She is the best player I have ever seen.”

Playing against Bosnia didn't provide much of a benchmark, as their key players were absent; even without Zhang Ziyu, we should have won easily. The upcoming two warm-up matches against the Japanese women's team will be Zhang Ziyu's true test, and she delivered outstanding performances in both games.

In the first game, she played for 14 minutes, shooting 9 for 13 and scoring 18 points with 10 rebounds, achieving a plus-minus of +11! After the game, the Japanese head coach said he had found a way to deal with Zhang Ziyu, which made me a bit curious about last night's rematch.

To handle such an unstoppable center, the strategy is usually to limit her catches and double-team her once she has the ball; if two players aren't enough, then three must be used. However, last night's Japanese women's team seemed to have given up resisting, as their double-teaming of Zhang Ziyu was not as intense as in the first game.

As a result, Zhang Ziyu played for just 8 minutes and 51 seconds, shooting 8 for 9 to score 16 points and grab 4 rebounds, with a plus-minus of +12. She barely broke a sweat, and the women's team easily defeated Japan.

There's no need to elaborate on Zhang Ziyu's dominance in the paint; opponents struggle to interfere with her. Her touch is very soft, and her skills are impressive; even if she misses, she can easily tip the ball for an offensive rebound. Han Xu's height is already considered elite in women's basketball, but Zhang Ziyu is even taller than her.

With such a significant height and weight as a center, one might expect slower mobility. However, Zhang Ziyu's true terrifying talent lies in her surprising agility; she moves quickly and doesn't lag in defense, which allows her to remain on the court for extended periods.

It can be said that Zhang Ziyu's existence is nothing short of miraculous; many consider her a biological wonder. Standing on the court, opposing centers look like guards in comparison—how can they defend against her?

The two warm-up matches against the Japanese women's team were valuable for training. In the first game, we only won by 9 points. Despite Zhang Ziyu's significant advantage in the paint, Japan's three-point shooting and transition speed caused us considerable trouble. Additionally, we only made 12 out of 25 free throws, missing many points we should have scored.

In last night's rematch, we improved significantly in terms of details; first, we made all 11 of our free throws, and secondly, we forced Japan into many turnovers in the second quarter, leading to fast breaks. Even with Zhang Ziyu playing for less than 9 minutes, we still won by 32 points.

Of course, as our long-time rival, the Japanese women's team fielded a roster primarily made up of younger players, which does not represent their full strength. The humorous Japanese head coach, Gaines, said, “Our team is very young; next time we will bring the real Japanese team to China.” Next month, the Women's Asian Cup will be held in Shenzhen.

Zhang Ziyu's original plan was to participate in the U19 Women's World Cup at the end of June with the U19 national youth team, but after playing two warm-up matches against Bosnia with the national team, they decided to promote her directly to join the team for the Asian Cup.

This decision has its pros and cons; participating in the U19 World Cup would allow her to gain experience and compete against top peers, which is certainly beneficial. However, competing in senior-level matches early on will help her adapt to the higher level of competition more quickly.

Coach Gong Luming stated after the game, “Zhang Ziyu is our future star, and we need to give her some time to adjust to the transition from the youth team to the senior team. The physicality at the senior level is greater, and after a game, Zhang Ziyu often ends up with bruises all over; this mental training is even more important than technical skills.”

The women's team has two more warm-up matches against Australia coming up, and we hope Australia can provide Zhang Ziyu with some intense competition. Identifying issues before the Asian Cup is the true purpose of these warm-up matches.

Zhang Ziyu is like a character from many novels, suddenly becoming the cornerstone of the women's basketball team overnight. Having her on our side is indeed a stroke of luck.