Zhang Ziyu, China's 2.23-metre tower

At 2.23 metres, China's teenage basketball player Zhang Ziyu can command attention before she even touches the ball. Her debut at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup brought that fascination to the biggest stage yet.

Zhang first emerged internationally two years ago when she was named MVP of the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup. Her height and dominance quickly spread through viral videos, while her tournament numbers made the phenomenon difficult to ignore: a 42.8 average rating, 35.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

She drew even more attention after becoming the first Chinese women's player to dunk in an official game. Promoted directly to the senior national team, Zhang made her FIBA Women's Asia Cup debut in 2025 and scored more than 15 points per game. She then impressed at the Women's Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments in March, where her appearances delighted the crowd in Wuhan.

A FIBA Media documentary released shortly before the World Cup introduced more viewers to the person behind the rapidly rising player. Her story attracted interest beyond basketball circles, adding to the attention around her arrival in Berlin and her first World Cup appearance against the United States.

After China's thrilling overtime win over the Czech Republic, teammate Han Xu emphasized the difficulty of the moment for Zhang. "She is a young girl," Han said. "In life, she is just a little girl, and this is her first game with the national team at World Cup level. For her, it is something very special and difficult. We all know that. She always gives her best."

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She is a young girl. In life, she is just a little girl, and this is her first game with the national team at World Cup level. For her, it is something very special and difficult. We all know that. She always gives her best.