FIBA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Australia’s SYDNEY is where the latest news is being reported. At the most recent FIBA Basketball Women’s World Cup, players and spectators from Asia and Oceania caught everyone’s attention.
Women’s Asia Cup fans in 2021 had had an idea of what they are capable of, whereas most supporters simply saw and were amazed by their exploits in the global showcase.
Now, let’s look at five players from last year’s continental conference who were not afraid to shine on the largest platform in the game.
S. KANG LEE SEUL (Korea)
Statistics in the Women’s World Cup: 17.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 13.2 effective field goal percentage
10.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 9.5 EFF in the Asia Cup for women.
Kang Lee Seul’s historic performance in leading Korea to their first Women’s World Cup victory in a long time caused a tidal wave of excitement in Sydney.
In their 99-66 rout of Bosnia and Herzegovina, their 28-year-old standout scored 37 points on 7 three-pointers, added 8 rebounds and 5 assists, and established the Women’s World Cup efficiency record with 44 EFF.
She beat the previous record established by Liz Cambage, who earned a 41 efficiency rating in the 2018 Spanish competition.
Kang finished as the tournament’s second-leading scorer, putting up 17.2 points on 41.7 percent shooting, making it a memorable campaign for her personally after two consecutive losing Women’s World Cup campaigns.
HAN XU (China)
For the Women’s World Cup, she averaged 12.4, 8.4, 1.8, and 17.6 in terms of scoring, rebounding, and blocking, respectively.
At the Asia Cup for women, she averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 18.2 effective field goal percentage.
After almost 30 years, China finally made the podium in the Women’s World Cup thanks in large part to the efforts of Xu Han.
The Asian superpower won its first silver medal in 1994, and the 2.05 M (6’9″) center picked the perfect opportunity to show off all she’d learnt since her youth team days.
The semi-finals were the highlight of her tournament. She scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, grabbed 10 boards, and tied a record with 5 blocks as China shocked hosts Australia 61-59.
In terms of numbers, Xu was also among the best. She finished in the top 15 in scoring, grabbed fifth-most boards, and was a co-leader in blocks, all of which helped her land in the competition’s All-Star Five.
SAMI WHITCOMB (Australia)
World Cup of Women Stats: 11.0 Points, 2.3 Assists, 3.6 Assists, 9.5 EFF
Scored 17.5 points, grabbed 7.2 rebounds, dished out 7.5 assists, and dished out 23.7 EFF in the Asia Cup for women.
Samantha Whitcomb was a veteran player for Australia, but she proved that age is only a number by scoring the most goals for her team.
The 34-year-old guard led the Opals in scoring with 11.0 points per game. She had three games in which she scored 15 points, including two consecutive victories against Canada and Japan.
She contributed with 3.6 assists and 2.3 rebounds as the home team won the bronze medal, ironically at the cost of Canada.
This added to the silver medal she won in the 2018 Women’s World Cup and the bronze medal she won at the 2021 Asia Cup that she won with Australia.
LI YUERU (China)
10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 14.5 EFF in the Women’s World Cup
Basketball stats for the Asia Cup for women: 15.6 points, 7.4 boards, 3.2 assists, and 22.2 effective field goal percentage
After demonstrating her effectiveness in the Women’s World Cup, Li Yueru became another integral part of China’s national team.
The 23-year-old big averaged 10.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 60.3 percent shooting to earn a position on the tournament’s All-Second Team.
At 2.0 m (6’7″) tall, she reserved her greatest performance for the Final, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead China to a valiant showing against the eventual gold medal winners, the United States.
SAORI MIYAZAKI (Japan)
During the Women’s World Cup, she averaged 7.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, and 8.2 EFF
11.6 points, 4.0 boards, 9.6 assists, 19.2 EFF in the women’s Asia Cup
Despite Japan’s lackluster campaign, Saori Miyazaki’s floor generalship nevertheless managed to offer a feeling of steadiness.
Although her statistics are down from the Women’s Asia Cup, she still managed to lead the team in assists with 5.2 per game in the Group Stage.
She contributed six assists to her team’s 89-56 victory against Mali in their World Cup opener, but the defending Asia Cup champions went on to lose their next four games.
The 25-year-old averaged 7.0 points (including a 13-point performance against France) and 2.2 rebounds throughout the tournament.
