Team USA has been one of the dominant forces in women’s basketball over the years, with 10 Olympic Gold Medals and 11 World Cup championships in its trophy cabinet. Now the new generation of stars is looking to continue the legacy with Caitlin Clark’s offense, Angel Reese’s control in the paint region, and Paige Bueckers’ defense. But one player who could overpower the trio of superstars is Chinese Phenom Ziyu Zhang.
While Bueckers dropped a confident take on her defensive intensity after Team USA’s recent win over New Zealand in FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the 17-year-old forward is a monster on defense and operates effortlessly, as fans react to a recent video that offers a glimpse of her game.
Fans Predict USA Vs. China Showdown Following Ziyu Zhang’s Defensive Play
With four World Cups and eight Olympic medals in a row, Team USA is one of the most successful teams in women’s basketball. Team Australia and France had been their traditional challengers, but now Spain and China are also among the top five rankings with their consistent performances.
China, in particular, raced in the top five with its regional dominance and commanding performances at the world stage. A recent video, though, went viral with a young Chinese star, Ziyu Zhang, showing her defensive game. Her towering 7-foot-3 presence allows her to be an imposing figure in the paint and has effortless blocking abilities.
When does USA play China?? pic.twitter.com/tTe43vmwBD
— CCFC-off season (@sohali2012) March 14, 2026
The video went viral with fans predicting the possible showdown with Team USA in the FIBA events and also the Olympic Games.
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A fan wrote, “3 pointers beat 2 pointers. Clark wont mind the chinese team.”
3 pointers beat 2 pointers. Clark wont mind the chinese team.
— HEL EL VEX ORT GUL (@HELELVEX_ORTGUL) March 15, 2026
One fan added, “Reese vs The Beast would be fun to watch.”
Reese vs The Beast would be fun to watch
— Odoq (@TAW_Odoq) March 14, 2026
Another fan said, “Kelsey Plum can take her!”
Kelsey Plum can take her! 😂
— Tokhuah (@Tokhuah) March 15, 2026
One fan mentioned, “The highlights of Angel getting dominated will be amusing.”
The highlights of Angel getting dominated will be amusing
— Rick (@Shockvalues) March 14, 2026
Another fan pointed out, “Soon China won’t be a pushover like the rest.”
Soon China 🇨🇳 won’t be a pushover like the rest
— Mark Shreve (@ShreveMark4629) March 15, 2026
17-year-old Chinese basketball prodigy garnered global attention for her exceptional stature, earning her the nickname “Female Yao Ming”. She is seen as a once-in-a-generation talent with a dominant, albeit developing, game. Apart from that, Team USA already has a few corrective measures to take care of in the current lineup, as per an analyst.
WNBA Analyst Exposes Ugly Reality Behind Team USA’s Win
Even though players like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese spoke about the team chemistry helping the side to win games, WNBA Analyst Robin Lundberg pointed out that the second game against Puerto Rico was “almost completely in the other direction as far as how ugly it was.”
In his recent video, the experienced analyst mentioned that the team lost its sync, and individual brilliance helped the side to achieve victory.
Although he found some positives from the win, as he called Paige Bueckers a born scorer, and also singled out Angel Reese for her ‘relentless efforts on the boards.’