Defending champion Sichuan Yuanda Merlot defeated the Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial Bank 103-90, while last season's runner-up Inner Mongolia Rural Credit Cooperative beat Wuhan 74-61 on the opening day of the 2023-2024 season of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA League) on Tuesday.
Li Meng scored 19 points to lead Sichuan and Han Xu put on a double-double show of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wang Siyu, whose decisive layup just secured China's national team's victory at the Asiad, scored 12 points and dished out six assists.
On the Zhejiang side, 31-year-old forward Cheyenne Parker took a game-high 27 points and Shan Wanli added 17. Dong Keer, who won the 3-pointer contest at the last WCBA All-Star, contributed 11 points.
In another season opener, the game seemed not easy for Inner Mongolia as their former star center Li Yueru skipped the season to sign with Turkish team Besiktas. Team China's frequenters Pan Zhenqi and Li Yuan scored 15 points apiece to lead Inner Mongolia to rally past Wuhan. Jack Animam, the first Filipino player to land in WCBA, scored 10 points for Wuhan as the team's only double-digit scorer.
Also on Tuesday, the Beijing Shougang thrashed Shaanxi Tianze 101-60.