An NBA or WNBA sojourn is the ultimate for any hoopster, even for an aspirant. But despite the overwhelming popularity it has enjoyed in Asia not many from the continent had made the elusive cut. But China has at its disposal two players with fairly rich experience at the world’s most competent and lucrative basketball circuit—Miao Lijie and Chen Nan. And they are making a massive difference for China as they bid to reclaim the Asian crown from South Korea in the 23rd FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for Women.
One of China’s best-ever guards, Miao Lijie has had two stints with the Sacramento Monarch, first in 2005 and then in 2009 and in between rejected an offer in 2007. Though she was primarily on the bench—played only 18 games—her side went on snare the championship and she gained voluminous experience. “It was challenging but it served well for my game. It improved my game by notches, and I became a better player,” revealed Lijie, who has a penchant for three pointers (was the most valuable player and the best three-point shooter in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association league 2004).
The impact it had on her game was evident as she spearheaded China to their best-ever finish in the Olympics—fourth and helped China edge the might United States pre-Olympic tournament. Nippy and tricky, she averaged 18 points per game during the Olympics, including a 28-point performance against Belarus that put her team into the semifinals.
Following in on her senior compatriot’s footsteps is the willowy Chen Nan, a 6’5” center with the Chicago Sky this season before she was waived off this August. A Bayi player in the Chinese league, she made her debut for the national side at 16, two years before she made her WCBA debut. In the previous Chinese league season in which she averaged 23.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game, Chen was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of 2009. The 26-year-old’s brooding existence on the frontcourt proved vital in the Beijing Olympics as she averaged 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. Chinese coach Sun Fengwu explains the worth of his trump card:
“Her ability to shoot from the outside as well as drive to the basket is exceptional for a player of her size. She has been a valuable asset for our side for so many years,” he pointed out.
The duo has so far been China’s most effective performers and their leading shooters in the Asian Championship, and if they are let scot-free to return with a rich haul, China would have a tight clutch on the silverware.
