BEIJING — Towering at 2.26 metres, 18-year-old Zhang Ziyu is quickly becoming China’s next basketball sensation, drawing comparisons to Yao Ming after a dominant performance in China’s 101-92 win over Japan in a Women’s Asia Cup warm-up.

It was Zhang’s third senior appearance, having already impressed in recent blowout wins over Bosnia. Dubbed the “moving Great Wall” and one-half of China’s new “Twin Towers” alongside Han Xu, Zhang's height stunned Japan’s coach, who simply called her presence “very interesting.”

Hailing from Shandong, Zhang was 2.10m tall by the end of primary school. Both her parents played professional basketball, and she’s now carrying that legacy forward. Despite her height advantage, teammates believe she still has room to toughen up her game.

China will face Japan again tomorrow before hosting the Women’s Asia Cup in Shenzhen starting July 13.