The Paper's reporter Hu Jie
Han Xu has returned to the New York Liberty for training.
After two years, Han Xu returned to the WNBA game again.
On April 19, Beijing time, the Sichuan Yuanda Meile women's basketball team officially revealed that center Han Xu went to the United States to participate in the training of the New York Liberty team and will play in the WNBA League that starts in May.
For Han Xu, this season she will face the double pressure of WNBA tournaments and national team tasks.
So since Han Xu can return to the WNBA game, why can't Li Yueru, another center of the Chinese women's basketball team, travel to the WNBA team in Chicago?
Han Xu fought with his opponents in the WNBA game.
After two years, he returned to the WNBA
A day ago, the WNBA League New York Liberty officially released videos and photos of the training camp. Fans found that the women's basketball player Han Xu appeared in it. Subsequently, the team announced the latest issue of the training roster, and Han Xu's name appeared.
Subsequently, the official Sichuan Yuanda Meile women's basketball team wrote: "Former club player Han Xu has gone to the United States to participate in the training of the New York Free agent team, and he will appear in the new season of the WNBA League starting in May." ”
At the 2019 WNBA Draft, Han Xu was selected by the New York Liberty with 14 picks. She also became the first Chinese player to be selected by the WNBA since Zheng Haixia in 1997.
Debuting in the WNBA, Han Xu played a total of 17 times, averaging 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.2 blocks in 8.3 minutes per game.
Recalling the first season of the WNBA, Han Xu said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency: "I think the first thing is to broaden my horizons, see what the highest level of league in the world (professional women's basketball) is like, and then I know how to catch up." ”
But with the emergence of the epidemic, Han Xu's WNBA trip lasted only one year and then came to an abrupt end.
At that time, the team owner Cai Chongxin was quite sorry: "Han Xu has played well in the past year, and the fans like her. However, due to the epidemic, Han Xu could not appear in the WNBA in the 2020 season. But I believe she can stay in shape at home and look forward to Han Xu being able to return to New York in the 2021 WNBA season to help the team. ”
Unfortunately, the epidemic has changed Han Xu's return to the WNBA from one year to two years.
In the 2020-2021 season, Han Xu returned to the WCBA to join the Xinjiang women's basketball team; in the 2021-2022 season, she came to the Sichuan women's basketball team, and finally won the second place in the sichuan women's basketball team in this season.
However, during this period, Han Xu and the New York Liberty have always maintained good communication - in January 2021, the WNBA New York Liberty announced that it would extend Han Xu's contract until 2022.
Prior to this, Han Xu's rookie contract was a "3+1" contract, that is, Han Xu played for the Freeman team for three years from 2019 to 2021, and the Freeman team had the right to renew the contract for one year in priority.
The free agent team chose to use the preferential renewal clause, which is enough to see the importance the team attaches to Han Xu. These assists also allow Han Xu to return to the WNBA League after two years.
Can Han Xu play a full season?
However, for Han Xu, it may be difficult for her to fully participate in this season's WNBA league.
Unlike most basketball leagues in the world that take place in the fall and winter, the WNBA league is scheduled for spring and summer. This season, the WNBA regular season will take place from May 6 to August 16, followed by nearly a month of playoffs.
The choice of time is more of a helpless move by the WNBA. As the only women's professional league associated with the four major leagues in North America, the primary purpose of the WNBA League is how to survive in the sports-rich American basketball world.
A 2019 set of data shows that the total income of nearly 200 players in the league is only $12 million, an average of $60,000 per person a year, and the maximum salary is $110,000.
Therefore, the league that starts in May will not only allow the WNBA to get more attention in the off-season of the game, but also free up more players to play a second job. This is also why, before the outbreak of the WCBA league, can see the world's top women's basketball players such as Maya Moore, Campage, Stewart and so on.
But such league times, conflicts with various international competitions often occur, and this year is no exception.
Focusing on the Chinese women's basketball team, this year is also a big year for the Chinese women's basketball team, and the team will face the dual tasks of the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Women's Basketball World Cup.
The weight of the task can be seen from the timing of the game - the Hangzhou Asian Games will be held from September 10 to September 25, while this year's Women's Basketball World Cup, China's opener against South Korea is on September 22.
This also means that the Women's Basketball Game at the Hangzhou Asian Games is very likely to compete before the opening ceremony, thus making time for the women's basketball team to prepare for the World Cup.
Considering the quarantine procedure for returning home from abroad, if Han Xu finishes the WNBA league in its entirety, it will be difficult for her to catch up with the Hangzhou Asian Games in a good state.
Li Yueru also wants to play in the United States.
Han Xu went, why didn't Li Yueru do it?
Hangzhou Asian Games + Women's Basketball World Cup, two major international events did not stop Han Xu from returning to the WNBA, but stumbled on her national team teammate Li Yueru.
On the last day of March, the WNBA Chicago Sky announced that they had acquired the right to sign Li Yueru from Los Angeles Spark by trading guard Lexie Brown.
James Wade, manager and head coach of Sky, said: "Li Yueru is a well-known player in China and even internationally, and she can add a lot of value to the team. It's about our future as much about our present. ”
At that time, Li Yueru averaged 16.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the women's basketball World Cup qualifiers, helping the Chinese women's basketball team win all three games to advance to the World Cup main game, and she was also selected for the best team.
In fact, at the 2019 draft where Han Xu was selected by the WNBA, there were many Chinese girls.
In addition to Han Xu, there were three other national team teammates participating in the draft training camp at that time, and Li Yueru was one of them. While people were cheering for Han Xu, Li Yueru was also selected by the WNBA team with the 35th pick.
It was only for various reasons that Li Yueru had not been able to report to the team. The conversion of the signing right once allowed Li Yueru to see the opportunity to go to the WNBA, but in the end it failed to make the trip.
This storm once brought a lot of trouble to Li Yueru, making her have to respond publicly on social media.
On April 8, an article titled "Broken Thoughts about My Exercise in the United States" described Li Yueru's mental journey. Li Yueru wrote: "The leaders expressed that because of my importance to the national team, they hoped that I would stay for a year, again, once again. After playing the Asian Games and the World Cup, I will go back next year. ”
"I was initially worried that I would get older and less competitive if I waited. But after a long ideological struggle, my decision at the moment is that if it really doesn't work in the end, I will stay. ”
"Beautiful seeds can grow into towering trees anywhere. It was the country that nurtured me, and it was time for me to grow up to be able to repay the country. ”
But if Han Xu can go to the New York Liberty at this moment, does that mean that Li Yueru also has room to turn around in the WNBA?
This answer may only be answered by time.
Editor-in-Charge: Ascendas
Proofreader: Liu Wei