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Jonathan White

Chinese basketballer Han Xu has become the first Chinese woman to play in the WNBA for 22 years after signing for the New York Liberty.
Han, 19, was in the WNBA draft held at Nike New York headquarters alongside fellow Chinese 19-year-old Li Yueru.
The Liberty drafted Han, the tallest and youngest player in the draft, in the second round with the 14th overall pick.
Li followed in the third and final round when she was selected 35th overall by the Atlanta Dream, last season’s WNBA Finals runners-up.

ESPN and several other sites had projected Han as a first-round pick.
The 6’9” (2.05 metre) centre played for China at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup last year, where she shone against the US team, and was a 2018 Women’s Chinese Basketball Association All-Star with Xinjiang Wojiang in her debut season.

Han was in tears after signing for the Liberty.
“I cannot help crying because my parents on site let me watch a video message sent by coach Xu [the Chinese national team coach],” she told Xinhua. “It brings back the memory of hardship on the road to WNBA.”
Neither Han nor Li were born when the last Chinese player was selected in the draft back in 1997.

Zheng Haixia was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks but she was in a separate draft for international players and joined the league as a 30-year-old established international who had won Olympic silver at Barcelona in 1992 and bronze in Los Angeles in 1984.
Three Chinese players – Miao Lijie, Sui Feifei and Chen Nan – have played in the WNBA in the intervening years but all entered the league outside the draft.
Joe Tsai, the owner of the New York Liberty and executive chairman of Alibaba, told Chinese online platform Toutiao that Han’s signing is as big as the Chinese trailblazers over in the NBA.
“Han Xu’s joining is like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian,” he said.

“It will definitely play a positive role in Chinese basketball and will become a role model for young people, encouraging them to work hard to realise their dreams.”
That does not mean signing Chinese players for the sake of it.
“If there are good players in China, we will do our best to help them join the NBA and WNBA,” he said. “I don’t quite agree with finding players just for the Chinese market. It is the most important thing to play well.”

With the 14th overall pick in the 2nd round, the #nyliberty select Han Xu! Loyals, give #HanXu a #LibertyLoud welcome! #WNBADRAFT pic.twitter.com/Br4nsU9jAh
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) 11 April 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

He indicated that Han’s signing was based on just that and she was in fact identified by the Liberty’s GM who had observed her for a while, with her performances for China among the reasons for the signing.
Han, who was born in Shijiazhuang before being schooled in Beijing, was selected for the senior national team before she made her professional debut.
The new Liberty signing, who won’t turn 20 until October, will get her first chance to suit up for her new team in the WNBA when the 2019 season starts on May 24 with them hosting the Indiana Fever at Westchester County Centre.

Atlanta Dream escoge a Li Yueru pic.twitter.com/zKoCAXgRjE
— IRUKeando en la NCAAW (@pdrncaaw) 11 April 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

The Liberty finished fifth in the six-team Eastern Conference last season and were well out on the play-off places.
Their 7-27 record was the worst in franchise history following an 11-23 season in 2013.
Li’s Atlanta Dream also play on opening night when they host the Dallas Wings at State Farm Arena.
The first meeting between the teams is a preseason game between the teams in New York on May 14.
The teams meet in the WNBA on June 30 when the Dream host the Liberty and the return game in New York on August 23.
Before all of that the Liberty host the China national team at the Barclays Centre, the home of the NBA’s Brookyln Nets, in a preseason friendly on May 9.

Draft prospect Han Xu, visits @NBASTORE NYC, as she looks to become the first Chinese player drafted in the @WNBA since 1997! pic.twitter.com/sa5omzACGE
— NBA Store (@NBASTORE) 10 April 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

Tsai, who is the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets as well as the New York Liberty, insisted he would not have to choose between his NBA and WNBA franchises if their games clash.
“I will take the iPad in one hand and watch both games,” he said, indicating that he wants the same thing for both teams.
“My most important expectation for both teams is to build a culture of continuous winning,” he added.
Tsai and many Chinese basketball fans will hope that Han can be a part of that culture.
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NBA (National Basketball Association)

China’s Han Xu ‘like Yao Ming’ as she joins New York Liberty in WNBA draft

Han Xu of China before the WNBA women's basketball draft in New York. Photo: Xinhua

Yao Ming and Joe Tsai sit courtside for the Pac-12 China Game

Joe Tsai, Executive Vice-Chairman of Alibaba Group, talks to the media at the Media Center during the Alibaba Tmall 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in Shanghai on Nov. 11, 2018. 11NOV18 SCMP / Simon Song

(190411) -- NEW YORK, April 11, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Han Xu (R) of China poses for a photo with WNBA COO Christy Hedgpeth after being selected by the New York Liberty in the second round of the WNBA women's basketball draft in New York, the United States, April 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

(190411) -- NEW YORK, April 11, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Han Xu of China poses with a cap of the New York Liberty during the WNBA women's basketball draft in New York, the United States, April 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

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Texas AirHogs players stand for the Chinese national anthem before an American Association of Independent Professional Baseball game. Photo: AP

(180831) -- JAKARTA, Aug. 30, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Chu Fujia of China competes during Baseball Men's Team Super Round - Match 3 against South Korea at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)

Texas AirHogs' Chu Fujia, of China, makes contact for a sacrifice bunt during the first inning of an American Association of Independent Professional Baseball game against the Chicago Dogs, Wednesday, July 18, 2018, in Grand Prairie, Texas. The small ballpark in Texas just a few miles from downtown Dallas is home this summer for the Chinese national baseball team under an unprecedented setup. The Chinese players are part of a revolving roster in a professional league, getting to play more games and against tougher competition to strengthen their team for future international competitions like the 2020 Olympics. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

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FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado watches his single against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series in Los Angeles. Andrew Friedman knew he was getting a player who didn't hustle all the time when he traded for Machado. Still, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations was willing to acquire the four-time All-Star infielder because his good points outweighed the bad. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

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Sport

China


Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai owns WNBA franchise that signs 19-year-old centre as 14th overall pick
Li Yueru is signed by Atlanta Dream in third round of the draft as first Chinese players drafted in 22 years



Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai owns WNBA franchise that signs 19-year-old centre as 14th overall pick


WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)