China has a basketball player who, if she were in the NBA, would be one of the tallest players in the league, and she’s only 17 years old.
Zhang Ziyu, a member of China’s U18 women’s basketball team, stands an astounding 7-feet-3 inches tall and is unsurprisingly dominating this year’s Women’s Asia Cup.
Just how dominant has she been? I’m glad you asked; in only 62 minutes of play, the youthful skyscraper has amassed 99 points. As for her shooting percentage? She is currently shooting 90.9 percent from the field.
Of course, it helps when “the field” is more than a foot shorter than you on average.
Zhang Ziyu of China in action during the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2024 match between China and Japan on June 26, 2024, in Shenzhen, China. (Fred Lee/Getty Images)
Ziyu has also snagged 34 rebounds with her impressive shooting totals.
Backed by the teenager’s raw physicality, Team China is set to host the semifinals for the Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday.
So far, not one of the three teams the Chinese have beaten came within 16 points of them, the New York Post reports.
It’s unknown if Ziyu has any NCAA offers. Should she come to the WNBA, she would be the tallest player. The tallest player in the league right now is the New Liberty’s Han Xu, who stands 6-feet-11.