WCBA on top of the world

Team China's gold medal in women's basketball at this summer's Asian Games has opened a window for further enhancement of the sport nationwide.

The Women's Chinese Basketball Association, the pinnacle of the female pro game in Asia since its formation in 2002, is undergoing an upgrade this season to nurture more talent for the national teams ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At a Monday media conference in Beijing it was announced that the WCBA has expanded from 14 to 18 teams for the season that tips off on Thursday, making it the largest women's basketball league in the world, including the US-based WNBA.