Zhang Ziyu, a 17-year-old Chinese basketball player, stands at an astonishing height of 2.20 meters (7-foot-3), making her the tallest female basketball player of all time, surpassing the previous record holder, Margo Dydek.
Zhang has been dominating youth competitions, particularly the ongoing FIBA Asia Women's U18 Championship, where she has recorded impressive stats, including averaging 27.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game. She overpowered defenders with her size, scoring easily near the basket, breaking tournament scoring records, and securing convincing wins against teams like Indonesia (109-50), New Zealand (36 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks), and Japan (44 points, 20-of-22 from the field, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks).
Her achievements in local tournaments made Zhang a celebrity in China, including a single game in which she scored 68 points and grabbed 24 rebounds. Viral videos circulate on platforms like Liputan6.com, showing her impressive rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks.
Viral videos of the athlete circulate on platforms like Liputan6.com, leaving fans in awe of her impressive rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks.
She comes from a family of basketball athletes. Her mother, Yu Ying, a former national team player standing at 195 cm tall and currently working as a women's basketball team coach in Shandong Province. Her father is a professional basketball player with a height of 210 cm.
Zhang's performances have drawn comparisons to Yao Ming, and speculation has already begun about her potential future in the WNBA, where she will be eligible to play once she turns 20. If she makes it into the WNBA, she will be the tallest player in league history, surpassing New York Liberty center Han Xu, who is currently China's tallest player at 6-foot-9.
At the age of 6 or 7, Zhang already measured 1.5 meters, and by the age of 11 or 12, she had grown to 2.05 meters, showing her physical advantage from an early age.
In 2021, Zhang Ziyu gained attention for her outstanding performance in U15 basketball, scoring 42 points in a game of the China U15 National Basketball League.
Chinese players in the United States, such as Han Xu, acknowledge her potential but emphasize the need for continued development to adapt to the faster and more physical game.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: NBC News, Economic Times, La Gaceta, Clarín, iG Esporte, Africa News, Tribun Kaltim, RNZ, Liputan6, Tribun Manado, News.com.au, Total Pro Sports, SVT, The Spun, Sportskeeda, The Mirror, La Opinión, El Diario NY, New Straits Times, OutKick, Index.hr