China's center Zhang Ziyu shields the ball against Italian players during the match between China and Italy at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin, Germany on September 7, 2026. Photo: VCG

China will face Puerto Rico on Wednesday for a place in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinals after a commanding 71-51 victory over Italy secured second place in Group D on Monday.

The winner of the qualification-round game will advance to the quarterfinals to face France on Thursday, giving China an opportunity to move into the last eight of the tournament after finishing runner-up in the previous edition in 2022.

China dominated Italy from the start, leading for all but the opening 21 seconds and taking a 40-21 advantage into halftime.

Center Han Xu led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Yang Shuyu added 15 points. Promising 19-year-old center Zhang Ziyu also made an impact off the bench, scoring eight points on four-of-seven shooting in eight minutes.

The result completed a strong recovery for China after an opening 94-61 loss to the defending champions, the US. China then edged Czechia 74-70 in overtime before overcoming Italy to finish the group stage with two wins from three games.

"We did a very good job of carrying out the coaches' game plan throughout the game," Chinese guard Wang Siyu told the press conference after the win.

"Both our targeted defense against Italy and our execution were very strong, and we also did a good job of controlling our turnovers."

Head coach Gong Luming said China had produced its best performance since the preparations for the World Cup began, pointing to the team's detailed preparation for Italy.

"Since the draw, we have regarded Italy as our main opponent and studied them extensively," Gong said at the post-match press conference. "We did a lot of work on both offense and defense."

China's preparations also included a particular focus on execution. Guard Wang Siyu said the team had followed the coaching staff's game plan well, especially in its targeted defense against Italy and in controlling turnovers.

Gong said China would now turn its attention to Puerto Rico, which defeated Turkey 75-71 on Monday to secure a place in the qualification round.

"Puerto Rico's win over Turkey shows that this is a very good team," Gong said. "They have many characteristics of the North American style. We will pay close attention to studying how to play this game well."

The Chinese team has been navigating the tournament without one of its most experienced interior players, Dallas Wings center Li Yueru.

Li was ruled out before the World Cup after her replacement passport was lost in the mail while she was in the US, preventing her from obtaining a new passport and traveling to Germany before the registration deadline.

Li was China's leading scorer and rebounder at the 2024 Paris Olympics, averaging 17.7 points and 11 rebounds. Her absence has left China without one of its key established post players as the team attempts to make another deep run at the World Cup.

At the same time, China's roster features one of the most closely watched young players in the tournament: 19-year-old center Zhang Ziyu.

Listed by FIBA at 2.23 meters, Zhang made her World Cup debut against the US, scoring 13 points and blocking two shots in 18 minutes. Her size and unusual playing profile attracted considerable attention.

For Gong, the World Cup is also part of a longer rebuilding process.

He returned as head coach of the Chinese women's national team in 2025 and led China to a bronze medal at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup that year.

China subsequently secured its place at the 2026 World Cup through the qualifying tournament in Wuhan, finishing second in its group with a 4-1 record.

China has a long history at the Women's World Cup, with its best finishes coming in 1994 and 2022, when it won silver. It also took bronze in 1983. The 2026 tournament is China's 12th appearance at the global championship.