WNBA picks up two Chinese players
Wednesday, 29th April 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Miao Lijie (left) and Chen Nan at a press conference in China
Chen, the 2009 MVP of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association, has a two-season deal with the Sky. She will play behind Sylvia Fowles, a dominant center in the league and like Chen, a 2008 Olympian. Chen, 26, averaged 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the Olympics. Terms of the contract were not released.
(Check out game tape of Chen here. She's No. 15)
"Her addition will add to the overall height and size of our front court, which we need to challenge the best in the WNBA," said Chicago Sky coach and GM Steven Key. "Her ability to shoot from the outside as well as drive to the basket is exceptional for a player of her size." Chen will arrive in Chicago in early May, and the Sky open the season at Minnesota June 6.
Miao, 28, is getting her second shot at the league. She and Sui Feifei (forward) both signed with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005. The team went on to win the WNBA championship, but Miao and Sui barely got off the bench. Playing in the United States seemed to serve Miao's game well. She was the X factor in China's upset of the U.S. women in a pre-Olympic tournament, She averaged 18 points per game during the Olympics, including a 28-point performance against Belarus that put her team into the semifinals.
When Miao and Sui were first signed back in 2005, Chinese national team head coach Gong Luming said the chance to play in the WNBA should help their game, but expressed skepticism about their ability to adapt to life in America, saying: "Our players are much like the birds raised in the cage as they get everything they need from China. But they won't have anyone to rely on in the United States, and they will be forced to deal with all matters in their daily life and the high-intensity matches alone." (Sohu.com)
When it looked like she would get another shot at the WNBA in 2007, Miao cited the language barrier as a major impediment to success in the league. "My English has improved a lot since last time (in 2005), but it is still a little bit tough for me to understand what the coach says," she said, according to China Daily. "Besides the games, I will try to learn more English." I don't know where exactly she was playing on the floor with the Monarchs, but Miao is at her best when running the point for Team China--and there's no position where it's more important for a player to understand her coach.
Zheng Haixia, a 6-foot-9 center, was the first Chinese player in the WNBA. She averaged 9 points and 4.4 rebounds over two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks (1997 and 1998), and won the league's Sportsmanship Award in her rookie season.
Related links:
Zheng Haixia on WNBA.com
Miao Lijie on WNBA.com
Sui Feifei on WNBA.com
Sina.com coverage of Miao/Chen news (in Chinese)
Image of Miao and Chen: Sina.com
Tags: basketball, Chicago Sky, Miao Lijie, Sacramento Monarchs, Sui Feifei, WCBA, WNBA, Zheng Haixia
Field hockey China's last chance for team gold
Friday, 22nd August 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Both the women's basketball and volleyball teams lost in semifinal games Thursday night,. The basketball team was handled easily by Australia, 90-56, sending coach Tom Maher's team to play Russia for the bronze on Saturday. Australia had a
balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures. China's high scorer was Bian Lan with 20. Australia held Miao Lijie, averaging 19.5 points going into the game, to just 10 points and two made field goals. The Australians face the USA Saturday in the final.
The volleyball team lost to Olympic favorite Brazil, 3-0, on Thursday. The first set was the hardest fought, with Brazil emerging 27-25. The Chinese team got progressively weaker, losing the next two sets 25-22 and 25-14. China plays Cuba for bronze on Saturday.
China's top team sport performance thus far in these Olympics was in beach volleyball, where its two women's pairs claimed silver and bronze.
Field hockey results page
Basketball results page
Volleyball results page
Field hockey team image: BOCOG
Tags: basketball, Beijing Olympics, field hockey, Miao Lijie, Olympics, Tom Maher, volleyball
Women's basketball reach semis
Wednesday, 20th August 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Miao Lijie
China won despite being outrebounded 41-22; the 27 turnovers by Belarus (to China's 11) made the difference, and then some.
Though Sui Feifei (隋菲菲) is the team's most famous player, she scored just 6 points last night, on par with her performance throughout the Olympics. Against Belarus, it was captain Miao Lijie (苗立杰), yet again, who took the game over for China. She led all scorers with 28 points on 71 percent shooting. Miao was key to China's upset of the United States in an Olympic test event in April, pacing China with 26 points. The 27-year-old point guard from Harbin is quick on the drive and a pesky defender. She's averaging 19.5 points in the Olympics.
China's route to the semifinals also included wins over Spain (67-64), New Zealand (80-63) Mali (69-48) and the Czech Republic (79-63). Its only loss came at the hands of the undefeated US team, a 108-63 trouncing.
China will play its semifinal game against Australia Thursday at 8:00 p.m. Beijing time. The teams played each other about two weeks ago in the FIBA Diamond Ball for Women tournament in Haining, with Australia winning by 14.
Miao Lijie image: 2008.qq.com
Tags: basketball, Beijing Olympics, Miao Lijie, Olympics, Sui Feifei
China's men lose badly to USA, women to play tonight
Monday, 11th August 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The USA men's basketball team easily handled China last night, winning 101-70. The star-studded American team put on a dunking clinic, stealing the ball 14 times for easy fast break points. Yao Ming had a double-double--13 points and 10 rebounds. Zhu Fangyu was the second leading scorer for China with 11 points and 8 rebounds.Expect a better game tonight when the two countries' women's teams meet. Last time they played, China won 84-81, behind 26 points from point guard Miao Lijie. China played strong defense as well, forcing 18 turnovers and holding Lisa Leslie to just 10 points. In the teams' first meeting of that tournament, the USA won, 86-61.
The USA has made some personnel changes since then, most notably adding Candace Parker, the most exciting player in women's basketball right now.
Related:
China upsets USA in women's basketball
USA dishes China its first loss in basketball test tournament
Tags: basketball, Beijing Olympics, Miao Lijie, Olympics, Yao Ming, Zhu Fangyu
China Upsets USA in Women's Basketball
Saturday, 26th April 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Beijing--In the United States first possession of the game Saturday night, Chinese guard Miao Lijie stole the ball from Sylvia Fowles and layed it up for an easy two points. That play set the tone for the game, as the USA committed 18 turnovers on the night and Miao shredded the nets with 26 points. China won the game, 84-81, to take first place in the Good Luck Beijing International Invitational Women's Basketball Tournament.
The U.S. players appeared to be looking beyond Saturday night's game to their return home to start the WNBA preseason next week. But China appeared pumped up to be playing to an enthusiastic crowd in its brand-new arena, and determined to avenge its 25-point rout by the US team two days ago.
The American team came out looking flat and sloppy, making just one out of seven two-point shots in the first 7:40 and committing a flurry of turnovers in the first quarter. China took advantage of their opponents' slow start, claiming a 10-point lead at the end of the first period. Early foul trouble kept Fowles and Lisa Leslie out for much of the first half and made it harder for the physical Americans to play their way back into the game.
The US team came out looking better in the second half. It made a run to pull into the lead late in the third quarter, its first lead since being up 6-4 in the first quarter. But China reclaimed the lead with five minutes to go and never looked back.
China held Leslie, who just two days ago made 26 points against China look like child's play, to a mere 10 points. Veteran guard Katie Smith led the United States with 16 points.
Australia placed third in the tournament, beating Cuba 65-61 on Saturday.
Tags: basketball, good luck beijing, Miao Lijie