Media Figures: Han Xu Awaits the Opportunity to Play Side-by-Side with Zhang Ziyu and Provide Her with Assists

Today, according to a report by Song Xiang, a journalist from Beiqing Sports, during an interview, Han Xu discussed her thoughts on Zhang Ziyu. She is looking forward to playing alongside Zhang Ziyu and hopes to connect with her in high-low post plays while providing her with more assists. The original text reads as follows:

“On July 12th, the Chinese women’s basketball team held a media open class. The starting center, Han Xu, talked about Zhang Ziyu, the center who had an outstanding performance at the recent U18 Women’s Basketball Asian Cup. Han Xu mentioned that she has been paying attention to Zhang Ziyu since she was very young and looks forward to her joining the national team in the near future. ‘I enjoy playing the power forward position, and if I can collaborate with Zhang Ziyu in the paint, I hope to provide her with more assists.’

Currently, at the age of 17, Zhang Ziyu stands at a remarkable height of 2.23 meters, nearly matching Yao Ming’s height. At the U18 Asian Cup, she shone brightly, dominating the paint thanks to her impressive height advantage and decent interior skills. During the Asian Cup, Zhang Ziyu averaged 35 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in 21.6 minutes, with a field goal percentage of 71.4% and a free throw percentage of 55.6%. Due to her outstanding performance, Zhang Ziyu was honored as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the U18 Asian Cup and was selected for the All-Star Five.

Many people are optimistic about Zhang Ziyu’s prospects and hope to see her join the Chinese women’s basketball team soon. Regarding this, Han Xu, the current starting center of the Chinese women’s basketball team, also shared her views, stating, ‘I’ve been following Zhang Ziyu for a long time. When I was playing for the Shandong youth team, there was a time during the National Games when I saw a tall girl watching the game. I paid attention to her back then and look forward to her growing quickly. In this U18 competition, Zhang Ziyu has also shown her potential.’

Han Xu is eager for Zhang Ziyu to join the national team soon and play together in harmony. ‘Throughout my career, I’ve always enjoyed playing the power forward position, but such opportunities have been rare in games. When I played with the Sichuan women’s basketball team, I teamed up with Liz Cambage, allowing me to play the power forward position, and our cooperation was perfect. Therefore, I look forward to Zhang Ziyu joining our ranks soon, and I’ll be able to provide her with more assists at that time.'”