In the group stage of the 2024 Youth Women's Basketball Championship, Zhang Ziyu attracted widespread attention with her amazing performance.
The 17-year-old star showed her dominance on the court with 39 points and 16 rebounds in just 29 minutes of playing time.
Zhang Ziyu only played 14 minutes against Tsinghua High School and scored 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.
She shot 10-of-11 from the field and showed great athletic efficiency.
In the game against Beijing Xicheng, Zhang Ziyu also performed well, contributing 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in 15 minutes of playing time.
In these two games, Zhang Ziyu led the team to victory over the opponent by 38 and 26 points respectively, fully demonstrating her dominance at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends.
Zhang Ziyu's outstanding performance is not only reflected in the statistics, but also in her influence on the game.
Her height advantage allows her to dominate the interior, and opponents struggle to find effective ways to deal with it both offensively and defensively.
She has a strong finishing ability under the basket and often only needs a simple turn to score easily.
Defensively, her long arms and nimble footwork make her an insurmountable barrier, with multiple spectacular blocks and steals.
Despite Zhang's outstanding performance in the youth competition, she was not selected for the Chinese women's basketball team for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
This decision has sparked a lot of controversy and discussion.
Some people believe that allowing Zhang Ziyu to participate in the Olympics will allow her to accumulate valuable experience in international competitions, which will be beneficial to her future development.
But there are also those who believe that given her age and experience, it may be too early to participate in the Olympics.
In fact, Zhang Ziyu's future development potential is beyond doubt.
Her height of 2.28 meters is extremely rare in the women's basketball world, coupled with her excellent ball skills and game awareness, she is likely to become the core player of the Chinese women's basketball team in the future.
Her performance in the U18 Asian Youth Championship averaged 35 points and 12 rebounds per game proved her dominance among her peers.
Although Zhang Zizhou was not selected for the Olympic team, it does not mean that her career has been affected.
On the contrary, it may give her more time to perfect her technique, improve her fitness and be better prepared for future international competitions.
We should trust the decision of the Chinese women's basketball coaching staff, who must think from a long-term perspective and make the most suitable arrangements for Zhang Ziyu's career planning.
From another point of view, Zhang Ziyu's failure to be selected for the Olympic team also reflects the deep strength of the Chinese women's basketball team.
Even if there is no new star like Zhang Ziyu, the Chinese women's basketball team still has powerful players such as Han Xu, Li Meng, and Li Yueru.
This team is considered to be the strongest Chinese Olympic women's basketball team after the Zheng Haixia era, showing the overall strength and depth of the Chinese women's basketball team.
For Zhang Ziyu, not being able to participate in the Olympics may be a regret, but it is also an opportunity.
She can use this time to continue honing her skills in the youth team and gaining more game experience.
Her performances have proven that she is capable of performing at a high level and we are sure to see her in the international competitions in the future."
The rise of Zhang Ziyu also brings hope for the future of the Chinese women's basketball team.
Her height and technical advantages can't help but remind people of Zheng Haixia back then.
If Zhang Ziyu can continue to improve and improve her strength, she is likely to become the next world-class super center and lead the Chinese women's basketball team to achieve better results in the international arena.
Although Zhang Ziyu did not make it to the Olympics, her future remains promising.
Her performance has already attracted the attention of the international basketball community, and I believe that in the near future, she will definitely show her talent on a bigger stage.
For the Chinese women's basketball team, having a rising star like Zhang Ziyu is undoubtedly a huge advantage, and she will be an important pillar of the team in the future.
Zhang Ziyu's outstanding performance in the Youth Women's Basketball Championship showed her great potential and talent.
Although she did not make the Olympic team, it did not affect her future development.
I believe that in the future, we will see more wonderful performances of Zhang Ziyu, and she will become the leader of the new generation of Chinese women's basketball and make greater contributions to the cause of Chinese basketball.
For the Chinese women's basketball team, it is very important to cultivate young talents like Zhang Ziyu.
Although she didn't make the Olympic team this time, that doesn't mean her opportunity is lost.
On the contrary, it could be an opportunity for her to grow and develop better.
We should give more patience and support to young players, and believe that they will eventually become the future stars of Chinese basketball.
Zhang Ziyu's growth process also brings us some thoughts.
How to better cultivate young players and how to balance short-term results and long-term development are all problems that Chinese basketball needs to face.
We look forward to seeing more young talents like Zhang Ziyu emerge and inject new vitality into Chinese basketball."
We must believe that the future of the Chinese women's basketball team is bright.
With a new star like Zhang Ziyu and the existing excellent players, the Chinese women's basketball team will surely achieve better results in the international arena.
Let's look forward to Zhang Ziyu's growth, and look forward to her shining in the international arena in the future and adding glory to Chinese basketball.
Zhang Ziyu's future development potential is undoubtedly huge, but the challenges she faces today cannot be ignored.
Despite her excellent performance in youth events, the leap from youth to national team was not an easy one.
This requires not only excellent physical and technical ability, but also rich competition experience and mature mental quality.
A netizen said: Although Zhang Ziyu has an obvious height advantage, in the senior competition, height alone is far from enough.
She needs to improve her movement speed and agility, otherwise she can be easily targeted by her opponents.
Her shooting and passing skills also need to be improved.
Only all-round development can gain a foothold in the international arena.
This point of view is indeed worth pondering.
In modern basketball, versatility is becoming more and more important.
Even a center forward needs to have a certain amount of projection ability and passing vision.
If Zhang Ziyu wants to occupy a place in the international arena in the future, he must constantly improve his technical system.
Some netizens analyzed from another angle: I think it's a good thing that Zhang Ziyu was not selected for the national team.
She's only 17 years old and has a long way to go.
Allowing her to focus on improving her skills and fitness now to prepare for future tournaments will be more beneficial to her long-term development.
There is a lot of pressure in a big tournament like the Olympics, and playing too early can have a negative impact on the psychology of young players.
This point of view is also very reasonable.
For young players, a gradual process of development is often more important than overnight.
What Zhang Ziyu needs now may not be to immediately get to the top stage, but to steadily improve his strength in the right environment.
Another netizen put forward his own views from the perspective of the overall development of the Chinese women's basketball team: I think the Chinese women's basketball team's choice now is wise.
We already have excellent interior players like Han Xu and Li Yueru, and with Zhang Ziyu, it may cause overlap in positions.
In contrast, cultivating more all-round players and improving the overall strength and tactical diversity of the team may be more conducive to the long-term development of the Chinese women's basketball team.
This is a reminder that the success of a team depends not only on individual heroism, but also on overall coordination and balance.
When the Chinese women's basketball team chooses the lineup, it must take into account the team's overall tactical system and future development direction.
Some netizens analyzed it from a historical perspective: Looking back on the development of Chinese basketball, it is not difficult to find that many outstanding players emerged at a young age.
For example, Yao Ming, who was selected for the national team at the age of 17.
But we also need to recognize that the competitive environment is different in every era.
Today's international women's basketball team is more competitive, and the requirements for players are also higher.
Therefore, we should not simply use the standards of the past to demand the young players of the present.
This point reminds us that when evaluating Zhang Ziyu, we need to take into account the current competitive environment and development trends.
Although she excelled among her peers, the level of international women's basketball is also improving.
We need to give young players more time and space to adapt to this high level of competition.
Another netizen put forward his own opinion from a psychological point of view: I think that for a young player like Zhang Ziyu, the most important thing is to maintain a good mentality and continuous motivation to improve.
Pushing her into the spotlight too soon can put unnecessary stress on her.
On the contrary, allowing her to grow gradually in the right environment can help her build self-confidence and develop good professional habits, which will be better for her long-term development.
This perspective reminds us that when developing young players, we should not only focus on their technical progress, but also their mental health and personal growth.
Only when you are well-rounded physically and mentally can you become a truly good athlete.
Although Zhang Ziyu has not been selected for the national team for the time being, this does not mean that her career has been affected.
On the contrary, it could be an opportunity for her to grow and develop better.
We should give more patience and support to young players, and believe that they will eventually become the future stars of Chinese basketball.
We must also realize that the development of the Chinese women's basketball team cannot only rely on individual stars, but requires the progress of the entire system.
From youth training to professional leagues, from technical training to psychological counselling, every link is crucial.
Only by establishing a sound training system can we continue to cultivate excellent players and maintain the competitiveness of the Chinese women's basketball team in the international arena.
For Zhang Ziyu, there is still a long way to go.
She needs to continue to work hard to improve her technique, improve her fitness and gain more experience.
She also needs to learn how to deal with pressure and how to be consistent at a high level of play.
These take time and patience.
We look forward to seeing Zhang Ziyu continue to grow in future competitions and show a more well-rounded and mature competitive state."
We also hope to see more young talents like Zhang Ziyu emerge to inject new vitality into the Chinese women's basketball team.
I believe that in the near future, we will definitely be able to see a stronger Chinese women's basketball team and create more brilliance in the international arena.