Chengdu, August 23 (Xinhua) -- Sichuan Yuanda Meile women's basketball team announced on the 23rd that li Meng and Sun Mengran, the national players of the women's basketball team and former Bayi women's basketball players, officially joined the club. In the new season, they will join forces with Shao Ting and Gao Song to compete in the China Women's Basketball League (WCBA) for the Sichuan Women's Basketball Team.
Chinese player Li Meng (right) passes the ball during a match on Aug. 4. Photo by Pan Yulong, Xinhua News Agency
Born in 1995, Li Meng plays as a striker. At the 2010 U17 World Youth Championship, 15-year-old Li Meng was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2013, the 18-year-old Li Meng was selected for the Chinese women's basketball team, and in the same year, he won the third place in the Asian Championship and the champion of the East Asian Games. This year, Li Meng, who debuted in the WCBA, won the Best Newcomer Award.
After experiencing the struggle against injuries, Li Meng won the Asian Games championship with the Chinese women's basketball team in 2018, and a year later won the World Military Games championship for the Bayi women's basketball team and won the MVP. At the Tokyo Olympics, Li Meng averaged 10.8 points per game, helping the Chinese women's basketball team advance to the quarterfinals.
Sun Mengran was born in 1992 and plays as a center forward. In 2011, the 19-year-old Sun Mengran made his debut in the WCBA League for the Bayi women's basketball team, and gradually grew from a rookie in the league to the mainstay of the team. In 2013, Sun Mengran was selected for the women's basketball national team. At the 2016 WCBA All-Star Game, Sun Mengran was named MVP. This year, Sun Mengran participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games with the Chinese women's basketball team and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Chinese player Sun Mengran (right) at the match on Aug. 2. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lan Hongguang
In the 2020-2021 season, the Sichuan women's basketball team introduced Shao Ting, Gao Song and other powerful players, and finally advanced to the playoffs with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses and won the fourth place in the league, creating the best result of Sichuan women's basketball in the top competition in the country. The club said that although Li Meng and Sun Mengran have been away from the league for a while, they have performed well in the Olympic games and hope that they can quickly integrate into the team and work together with their teammates to create new achievements.
Contributor: Feng Jiayi
Source: Xinhua News Agency