The balance of power in the WNBA could shift soon. A rising star in China has started catching the eye of teams and scouts here in the U.S., threatening the dominance of emerging players like Alana Smith and even established stars such as A’Ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier.
For the past couple of weeks, videos of Shandong Shijiazhuang star Zhang Ziyu have been going viral on social media. Initially, it was due to her impressive 7-foot-3 frame, but that’s not all.
Zhang made her debut on January 4th in a game against Hebei Win Power. In just 12 minutes on the court, the young center scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, in addition to several blocks.
It would be easy to think that a player of her stature has an insurmountable advantage in the Chinese Women’s Basketball Association; however, Zhang has already faced and dominated some WNBA stars.
Cardoso couldn’t dominate Zhang
At just 18 years old, Zhang has already made it clear that she won’t be intimidated, not even by famous WNBA stars. In her debut alone, she faced Emily Potter and Kaela Davis.
Potter and Davis indeed had relatively unremarkable stints in the WNBA, the former with Seattle and the latter with Dallas, Chicago, and Phoenix. However, Zhang has also tested herself against higher-caliber players.
In the two weeks since her first game, the young center has already faced the third overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Kamilla Cardoso, and the seventh overall pick in 2019, Kalani Brown.
In the game against Cardoso, Angel Reese’s teammate at Chicago, Zhang finished with 10 points, and against Brown, she had seven. In both cases, she also racked up valuable rebounds and blocks. All of this has led some experts to wonder when she’ll reach the WNBA.
Will Zhang Ziyu play in the WNBA?
Experts and analysts have already noted both Zhang’s height and talent. At only 18 years old, it could take her some time to make the jump, and that’s why specialists believe she won’t reach the WNBA before 2027.
With her height, Zhang is even an inch taller than the tallest player in WNBA history, Poland’s Margo Dydek, who was drafted at 24.
Dydek had a successful 11-year career in the WNBA, which seems to bode well for the young Zhang.
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