France overwhelmed China 90-61 on Thursday, advancing to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup semifinals. The win puts Les Bleues one step closer to their first World Cup medal since the inaugural 1953 tournament.
1st-Quarter Defense Decides China vs France
The game tilted France's way early. Les Bleues smothered 7-foot-2 center Zhang Ziyu with constant double teams, keeping her off the scoreboard through two quarters.
Zhang managed just seven points and committed seven turnovers. Han Xu subsequently posted a team-high 21 with nine boards for China, but the gap was too wide to close on her own.
Meanwhile, France's perimeter attack was relentless. Gabby Williams scored 14, and the backcourt tandem of Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün each dropped 15 on a trio of three-pointers.
France went 14-for-37 from beyond the arc. It continuing the shooting form that produced a tournament-record 22 three-pointers in their final group game.
"We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey," Williams said after the win.
France now joins the US in the 2026 FIBA World Cup final four, facing Germany on Saturday at 2 PM ET. Fans can catch the game on TNT and HBO Max.
