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Liaoning wins women's basketball crown

Friday, 6th February 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

Liaoning celebrates its third championship in four years.
Liaoning celebrates its third championship in four years.
Liaoning Hengye took the WCBA title Thursday night, winning the best-of-five series in four games against Bayi Guangbo. Liaoning won last night's game by a score of 79-64. The team's leading scorer was Ma Zengyu (马增玉), who shot 4-10 from three-point range and also had 10 rebounds. The team's second-leading scorer was Tangela Smith, a veteran center for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, who had 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Ma Zengyu (No. 7) paced Liaoning with 20 points.
Ma Zengyu (No. 7) paced Liaoning with 20 points.

Bayi and Liaoning have dominated the league, with one of these teams winning the championship every year since the WCBA was formed in 2002. Bayi reigned from 2002 to 2005, and Liaoning has taken the title three out of the last four years. It lost the 2008 championship to Bayi.

Blogging for WNBA.com, Smith writes that there were a total of four WNBA players in the WCBA this year: Chasity Melvin of the Chicago Sky, Ann Strother of the Atlanta Dream and Yolanda Griffith of the Seattle Storm. Unlike their NBA counterparts, WNBA players often supplement their income with off-season stints abroad.

Liaoning team image: Sina.com

Ma Zengyu image: Sina.com

Sina's video report of the championship game, including interview with Ma Zengyu, here

Tags: basketball, Bayi Guangbo, Liaoning Hengye, Ma Zengyu, WCBA