BEIJING (China) - At just 18 years old, Zhang Ziyu is already generating international buzz - and now she's been putting on display that she's ready to shine at the senior level.
After dominating at the youth level and turning heads across the global basketball community, the 2.26M (7'5") center is now officially on the radar as a senior national team member.
Zhang has already suited up for China in a series of senior team exhibition games, where she impressed with her towering presence, soft touch, and growing command of the paint.
In her debut game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, she recorded 18 points and 7 rebounds in just 12 minutes. In the second game of back-to-back clashes, she scored 16 points and grabbed 7 boards in 15 minutes. China convincingly won both games.
Shortly after, in her third game for the senior squad, she poured in 18 points against arch-rivals Japan in a 101-92 win.
"She's the best player I've ever seen," said Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Emir Halimic.
Japan's head coach Corey Gaines also admitted to having a hard time figuring the rising star out.
"We'll just say: Interesting. Very interesting," he said when asked about his plans of how to deal with Zhang, as per The Japan Times.
Zhang's ascent has been years in the making. She first caught global attention as a 14-year-old phenom, but her breakout came in 2024 when she averaged 35.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per game at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup, earning MVP honors. Since then, she’s starred at the WCBA All-Star Weekend and has been embraced as China’s next basketball icon - drawing comparisons to legends like Yao Ming and Zheng Haixia.
The next chapter in Zhang Ziyu’s story is about to begin. And the world will be watching.
FIBA