Courting Olympic success

The all-out approach is an attempt to maximize governing body FIBA's new qualification system, which ranks member associations by the individual world ranking points of their top 25 players. The top three associations by Nov 1 will be awarded direct tickets to Paris 2024.

The remaining five spots at the Olympics will be decided by three qualifying tournaments next year, with exact dates and venues to be confirmed. The same format applies to the men's competition.

Team China, which is currently ranked fifth in the association standings, wants to secure its Paris quota as early as possible and plans to dispatch two teams to play all 20 stops of the 3x3 Women's Series over the next five months.

After missing out on international drills during the pandemic, Team China is embracing the hectic schedule as an opportunity to toughen up for the Paris challenge.

"The intense international schedule will put our players through tough physical and mental tests, help us build more chemistry and allow our youngsters to gain more experience," said Xu.

"We need a stronger presence in the FIBA ranking system to bolster our qualification chances for Paris.

"We need more players to develop their all-around games, because this is a sport that tests a player's abilities on both the offensive and defensive ends."

The 2023 Women's World Cup, which takes places in Austrian capital Vienna from May 30-June 4, is also a priority for Xu, who will use the tournament to evaluate players against major Paris 2024 rivals.

Drawn in Group D with Lithuania, Romania, Italy and a qualifier, Team China is expected to at least finish on the podium.

"It will be a crucial season for us as a new team with a lot of young guns joining in and adapting to the format of the 3x3 game," said veteran guard Wang Lili, the most reliable scorer on Xu's first-choice roster over the past four years.