SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — China coach Xu Limin spent a few weeks earlier this year at Duke with the women's basketball team, hoping to expand his coaching knowledge.
He credits that experience for some of the success his team has had at the World Cup so far. China will face Australia in the quarterfinals Friday. It's the only the third time in the past six world championships that China has made it this far.
"First of all, an advanced philosophy for an offensive side and defensive side," Xu said through a translator of what he learned at Duke. "Many things I learned from there helped us here."
Xu was an assistant on China's last Olympic team which finished 10th. Only three players from that team remain on the squad.
"We are a young team and 2020-24, that time will be best for our team as they will mature," Xu said. "For China our players' pool is small and we don't have too many players to pick from."
China's elimination-round win over rival Japan was on TV in prime time in China, which was huge for the growth of the sport in the basketball-crazed country.
"It helped a lot of people who love basketball watched it and will be huge for us in the future," Xu said.
What also has helped China improve is the constant influx of foreign players competing in the Chinese Basketball League. American stars Breanna Stewart, Nneka Ogwumike, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Tina Charles have all played in China recently.
"China is one of the best places to play overseas as far as international players," Stewart said, "so the fact that they improved a lot shows what they've done with their country and their league. You have some of the best WNBA players going over to play in China and showing them some of the standards we hold ourselves to, and they want to win and be competitive."
Some of the American mannerisms are also rubbing off on the Chinese players. After a big block against Japan, Huang Sijing pounded her chest. Guard Li Yuan raised three fingers after making a huge 3-pointer.
"I think also that's the influence of a lot of Americans going over there," Diana Taurasi said. "That's the country that has taken the longest since they take such pride in how they teach basketball and how they learn it. You can see the mannerism, the way they are dribbling or reacting after making plays. Those are things you've never seen from a Chinese team. It's good that they show that emotion."
Taurasi thinks this is the best China team she's seen since the 2008 Beijing Games. And with most of their star players under 23 the future is bright.
A handful of WNBA coaches and GMs were at the game against Japan watching China's two big post players. Han Xu, who turns 19 next month, is 6-foot-9 and scored 20 points against the U.S.
Xu would love if some of his players get a chance to play abroad.
"We want to be a strong team in the world and we need our players to get out," he said. "If they have those types of experiences it helps us have a better team."
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