Zhang Ziyu: The Towering Star of Women's Basketball World Cup
In a sport built for the tall, Zhang Ziyu still looks like she belongs to another category altogether.
At 2.23m, the 19-year-old centre quite literally rises above the Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, a looming presence who makes even elite professionals appear undersized. Yet inside China’s locker room, teammates insist she is something else entirely.
“Just a little girl.”
That was Han Xu’s affectionate verdict after China’s tense 74-70 overtime win over the Czech Republic on Sept 6, a game where Zhang played just over 10 minutes and chipped in three points against a rugged, physical opponent. Limited numbers, but every second she’s on court feels like a glimpse into the future of the women’s game.
Her real statement came earlier in the tournament. In China’s opening 94-61 defeat to reigning champions the United States, Zhang caused problems that even the world’s best struggled to solve.
Caitlin Clark, the American phenomenon and face of the sport’s new generation, walked away from that matchup sounding genuinely impressed.
“I’ve never played against a woman of that size, and she obviously presented some challenges for us,” Clark said. “I think she’s a wonderful player, and you see how young she is. You can tell she’s still growing and learning how to play and how to leverage her advantage, which is her size.
“There’s not much you can do to stop her when she gets it really close to the basket.”
In a single tournament, Zhang has gone from curiosity to talking point. Her height is officially listed at 223cm on FIBA’s website, making her taller than NBA great Shaquille O’Neal. In an era where frontcourts are stacked with 1.90m and 2.00m athletes, she still manages to look like an outlier.
China know it. The rest of the world can see it.
“I think she is a great player, and we just keep thinking (about) how to use her better and hope she can be more aggressive,” came the assessment from within the Chinese camp. The message is clear: this is only the start. The coaching staff are still working out how to unlock a weapon the sport rarely sees.
The Women’s Basketball World Cup’s own official website leans into the spectacle, branding her “epically tall” and reminding readers that this is not some overnight sensation. Zhang was crowned Most Valuable Player at the U-18 Women’s Asia Cup two years ago, a dominant teenager who turned youth tournaments into highlight reels.
Those clips, and the latest images of her towering over opponents in Germany, have gone viral again, shared and reshared as fans marvel at the sheer scale of her presence. But for Clark, the story cannot stop at the frame.
“She’s still a very young player, but to be this young and to be in a World Cup and to go up against the top players is only going to help her continue to grow,” the American star said. “So I think if she continues to develop, then there’s definitely a place for her.”
The viral photos show the height. The World Cup is revealing something more important: how quickly Zhang Ziyu can grow into the game that suddenly looks built for her.
