Team China’s star center Han Xu rises for a layup as Japan’s Nako Motohashi defends during the Asia Cup final on July 2. AP

Step-by-step approach

China tested several young players at the Asia Cup, with Zheng giving that experiment a resounding thumbs-up.

"When we were training in Europe, because we were not sure about the condition of our foreign-based or injured players, we decided to test our reserves, aiming to improve their level and help them gain experience. During the Asia Cup, everyone on the court showed their worth," Zheng said.

Despite the significant achievements of the last two years, Zheng still sees plenty of room for improvement for her team.

"We will review our Asia Cup campaign, identify our weaknesses, and try to fix them in our upcoming training sessions," she said.

The team will reassemble on July 16 to begin preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be staged from Sept 23 to Oct 8.

"As Han Xu and Li Meng are continuing with their WNBA duties, and some players are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, we need to concentrate on training the young players," Zheng said.

"Now we are the Asian champions, but I have to say that Asian competitions are tough, and we are no longer so sure of emerging victorious like in the past. Therefore, we should focus on our daily training and fight for the best result at the Asian Games," she added.

"We will move forward step by step, and fulfill our goals one at a time. The Asian Games are our top priority now, then Olympic qualification, and finally the Paris Games."