3x3 women's superstar Lili Wang's return hoped to spark China at Paris Olympics

BEIJING (China) - Superstar Lily Wang has returned to her brilliant best in a major boost for China's medal prospects at the Paris Olympics. 

Let's take a closer look at the former World Cup and Asia Cup champions. 

CHINA

Ranking: 3rd

Previous Olympic Appearances: 2021 (Bronze)

Squad: Mingling Chen, Ji Yuan Wan, Lili Wang, ZhiTing Zhang

Key Player: Lili Wang 

She's back! After suffering a serious knee injury last season, there were fears Lili Wang might miss the Paris Olympics.

But her hard work in recovery paid off with Wang making a spectacular return to lead China to titles in Langfang and Wuhan.

The 31-year-old has not missed a beat and quickly returned to the type of form that saw her take out last year's MVP in the Women's Series. 

Wang loves nothing more than the big stage, where she is a former Asia Cup MVP and also dominated the World Cup last year to finish with an insane 46 points.

The speedy 5ft.9in (1.75m) Wang is an absolute flame thrower who continues to inspire her billion plus compatriots to dream big on the half-court.  

Qualification: As one of the top-ranked nations, China directly qualified for the Olympics and had the luxury of avoiding the difficult qualifying tournaments. 

China for some time has been one of the very best teams in women's 3x3 as underlined by their record in major events. They have made the semis of the last four World Cups, including winning in 2019, and took out the Asia Cup in 2022. 

China's current line-up will have happy Olympic memories. With Ji Yuan Wan, Lili Wang, ZhiTing Zhang at the core, China upset France in a thriller to claim a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Expectations: With Lili Wang back, China have a formidable one-two punch with former World Cup MVP ZhiTing Zhang also capable of completely dominating the half-court. 

Mingling Chen is also a bucket getter, while 22-year-old young gun Ji Yuan Wan is a two-way force and offers the team versatility. 

These four mesh perfectly together as they proved during China's unbeaten campaign in Langfang.

With so much experience, including at the Olympics, China deservedly will be one of the favorites in Paris and they'll aim to do even better this time around.

 A gold medal for China will cap one of the most dominant runs seen in women's 3x3. 

FIBA