FIBA Basketball Women’s World Cup : If you’re a basketball player, it’s not hard to pick out Han Xu in a crowd. The China national team center is a towering 2.05M (6’9″) tall, which has always set her apart.
Han has spent the last six years working hard to ensure that she is not stereotyped because of her height alone. From the U17 Women’s World Cup in 2016 to the Women’s World Cup in Sydney last month, she has left her imprint on the court and progressed with each new China uniform.
It’s up there with the best
After China’s historic run, which culminated in the country’s first podium place in 28 years and Han’s own personal breakthrough, she is more than just a tall basketball player.
When I say, “I try my best,” I mean it. When China overcame France to reach to the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup, Han commented, “I do my best in every game.”
That she was making every possible effort was evident. Ultimately, she averaged 12.4 points per game (twelfth most), 8.4 rebounds per game (fifth most), and 1.8 blocks per game (tied for most).
In the Semifinal, China played hosts Australia, and her performance stood out in front of one of the largest audiences of the whole tournament. Han put up her greatest performance of the tournament, tying the Women’s World Cup record with 19 points on 8-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 blocks.
Along with her size and length, her shooting skill is what sets her apart as a special player. This was on full show for everyone to see in Sydney, and it is also a key factor in why she is considered one of the most effective attacking players at the professional level.
“Since I was little, shooting is always what I’ve been excellent at,” Han told FiveThirtyEight before the World Cup.
“When I don’t overthink things and don’t worry about missing, no one can guard me,” I say of my shooting.
As a result, she is one of the most talked-about players on this promising Chinese squad. Her road to become a key player for the Women’s World Cup runner-up and the world’s number two rated national team has been nothing short of courageous.
Headstart
She looked like she was born to be a basketball player. Han’s mother and father were both professional players in China, and they wasted no time in introducing their daughter to the sport.
I used to tag along with my mum to the women’s team’s practices. In addition, Han told SLAM in August that his family often watches basketball games together.
When Han saw how far basketball might lead her, she had to choose between the two options available to ambitious Chinese basketball players.
You may choose between a professional career and academic study in China. “There are pro youth teams for younger players, maybe 15 or 16 years old, who want to pursue a professional career,” Han says, as quoted by SLAM. For those who choose an academic path, high schools offer student-athlete programs that may lead to a diploma. They’ll be ready for collegiate competition.
Han made the tough decision to become professional
I felt like I had the advantage at 18 and wanted to pursue a professional career because of it. The Chinese national team has previously extended an invitation to me. I’ve wanted to go pro ever since I received the invite,” she said to SLAM.
With that kind of head start, she was immediately noticed when she started representing China. In 2016, the Women’s Under-17 World Cup was held. The next year saw the FIBA U18 Women’s Asian Championship. The next year, in 2018, it happened during the Under-19 Women’s World Cup.
motivating others
The next year, 2018, Han made her debut with the senior national team in the Women’s World Cup, where she continued to make progress, including a 20-point performance against the United States.
Her meteoric rise to fame began when, at age 17, she became the youngest player ever selected in a WNBA draft.
In 2019, she was selected as a TISSOT All-Star for the Women’s Asia Cup. Participated in the 2021 Olympic Games. Not only did Han make it all the way to the finals of the World Cup in Sydney, but he was also selected as one of Google’s five greatest players in the world to join them in the All-Star Five. This Halloween will be her 23rd year of life.
Some have dubbed her the “Yao Ming” of women’s basketball due to her early success on the national, regional, and international levels, not to mention her height and country.
According to the AP, Han said of her childhood idol, “He had a very good career in NBA and he also popularized the culture of the sport in China so that today, more Chinese people enjoy to watch basketball.” They’ve already met face to face, and Yao’s already given the kid some sound advise.
In this regard, the two are analogous, since they both contribute to increasing basketball’s profile in China.
In both real life and cyberspace, Han and Li [Yueru] have been making waves. We have data showing that more females are playing basketball at all skill levels after being inspired by Han and Li. China basketball expert Michael Yuan was quoted by the AP as saying, “We can certainly see increased news coverage and other forms of user-generated material on China’s social media platform.”
Perhaps more than any baskets she scores or rebounds she blocks, Han Xu’s greatest effect in basketball will come from becoming an example for her teammates to follow.
After the China–Australia World Cup semi-final game, Han was given the microphone and the deserved attention as the recipient of the TCL Player of the Game award.
She expressed her desire for more support of women’s basketball by saying, “I want more people to cheer for women’s basketball.”
The triumph and Han’s performance were certainly noteworthy, but she didn’t waste the chance to keep supporting women’s basketball while the spotlight was on her.
Wow, what a ride it has been thus far. When compared to her contemporaries, Han stands head and shoulders above the others. She has gone from being a promising young player to a great player on the senior national team and an inspiration to young players everywhere.
And from here on out, her story just becomes more interesting.
She expressed to SLAM her desire to “inspire the next generation to think that as long as you work hard, you can accomplish anything in life – everything you want in life.”
