Despite missing key players Liz Cambage (due to a severe knee injury sustained in Game 4) and Arike Ogunbowale (suspended), and facing a hostile crowd of 8,000 fans, the Sichuan team triumphed over Shanxi with a 74-65 victory in Game 5. This win secured the championship for Sichuan, giving them a 3-2 series advantage. American player Natasha Howard was instrumental in the win, contributing 22 points and 12 rebounds.
This championship marks Sichuan’s third WCBA title, adding to their victories in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The win further cements the club’s position as the dominant force in the WCBA throughout the current decade.
Reflecting on the season, Frédéric Dusart shared his thoughts on social media:
“This has been the craziest, toughest, most interesting, and most unforgettable basketball season of my life so far,” he wrote. “Ten and a half months in China, away from my family, my wife, my children. Ten and a half months filled with surprises, joy, sorrow, laughter, tears, and the discovery of this culture. We competed in four events: WCBA Champions, Chinese Championship winners, Chinese National Games finalists, and Club Cup finalists.”
He also added, “Returning to France.”
