China falls short against Belgium in FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying

A sluggish start doomed host team China to an 80-65 defeat against Belgium in a 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying game in Wuhan on Thursday.

After opening brightly with 11 points in the first quarter, China never recovered from a four‑and‑a‑half‑minute scoring drought early in the second period. Coach Gong Luming made one lineup change from Wednesday's win over Mali, inserting Li Yueru in place of Chen Mingling in the frontcourt to pair with Han Xu.

Belgium struck early from distance, leading 9-2 after a quick succession of three-pointers. China's Zhang Manman answered with the home side's opening triple and teenager Zhang Ziyu showed flashes in the paint, but the Belgians closed the first quarter holding a 21-11 advantage.

The European champions stretched their margin to 24 in the second, as Julie Vanloo and Emma Meesseman combined for 17 points in a relentless surge by the visiting squad.

Zhang contributed 10 points off the bench, with a late bucket helping the Chinese ladies cut the deficit to 14 at halftime.

China rallied after the break as Han, Li and Zhang produced consecutive inside scores to close the gap to single digits. But Belgium's late long‑range shooting kept the hosts at arm's length, with the visitors leading 61-45 going into the final period. Belgian forward Antonia Delaere finished with a game‑high 27 points, connecting on seven of ten shots from beyond the arc to help her side seal the deal.

"When we put two centers on the court, we were struggling on defense, especially facing a team with many playmakers," Li said while reflecting on China's tactical troubles. "This is a challenge for us. Some of us just returned to the team, so we need more time to communicate and build chemistry. The game is fast-paced and we need to adjust quickly."

China now has a record of 1-1, ahead of Saturday's game against South Sudan.