Chinese players to play for Monarchs

[sinobball]

http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/sports/story/1922542p-9879773c.html

The Monarchs are considering some Chinese players for invitations to training camp.

"I've played against the Chinese National Team, so I'm familiar with their players," Lawson said. "They're good. It's all a matter of adapting to the American style of the game."

While the Sacramento Kings were in Beijing battling the Houston Rockets, the Maloof brothers met with 23-year-old Miao Lijie, MVP of 2004 Asian Women's Championships. Her agent Fei Fei said the meeting was very successful and she's expected to be signed to the training camp next season.

Currently Miao, a 5-10 guard, is the scoring leader in China's WCBA league (27ppg), ahead of 6 WNBA players who are also playing in China. (WCBA takes place in WNBA offseason). One of them, DeMya Walker of Sacramento Monarchs, is currently playing for Beijing Great Wall (22ppg). When Walker first heard of the news, she said it would be extremely difficult for a Chinese player to be signed by a WNBA team, especially for a good team such as the Monarchs. But after the game with Miao's Heilongjiang, in which Miao poured in 37, Walker was the first to tell the reporters that Miao Lijie can definitely compete in the WNBA level.

Probably the key reason Miao would go to the Monarchs is because the import in her team (Heilongjiang), Monique Ambers, is also the assistant coach in Sacramento. This is Ambers' second season in China, and she was the one to recommend Miao to her WNBA club before the Olympics. Other than the Monarchs, Miao had also received invitations from the Charlotte Sting.

Also expected to be invited to Sacramento's training camp is 25-year-old Sui Feifei, whose Army team has won every WCBA championships. Sui, a 6-0 forward, is also a top-10 scorer in China (20 ppg), and is extremely popular due to her good looks and artistic abilities. Sui is also relatively fluent in spoken English for some reasons. While some people question whether the army team would forbid her to leave, the team's manager Zheng Haixia, who played in WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks herself, has assured the media it would not hapen.

 

[sinobball]

Hi, just to forward a post of mine in another forum. You can check my website on China Women's Team at:
http://www.geocities.com/sinobball/chinawomen04.htm

Here's a picture of the 2 players together (All-Tournament team in Australia's Opals Challenge).

 

[HoopMatron]

Thanks so much for the updates from China! It is difficult to navigate the internet in Chinese for those of us who aren't bilingual (or who can't read the characters).

The prospects sound interesting. Does being on an Army team mean that she is in the Army? Or is the team just sponsored by the Army? If there were a player on the US Army team, they would not be allowed to play professionally until their enlistment ended.

If it isn't too much trouble, keep us posted on the season over there as it progresses. I'd like to start following those prospects.

HoopMatron

 

[sinobball]

In China, all the players in the army team are officially soldiers. However, I think it is mostly tradition than anything. Wang Zhizhi of the Miami Heat, as well as former WNBA players Zheng Haixia all came from the army team. I don't think they even know how to use a gun.

DeMya with Sui Feifei

 

[6th]

This is great info, sinobball. I agree. Keep us updated on the Monarch prospects. I'd love to have a 5'10" guard that can average over 20 pts per game. Does she play the OG position?

 

[Luv13fan]

Hey What about G-Mend

Excuse me???
We have a 5'11 guard who can score 20 points. Not sure about Averaging 20, but Guiliana is more than capable of doing that. I thought the knock on her was whether she could play WNBA defense or not. But We don't know if these Women from China can play Defense either. At least we know what we have in Giuliana.

What we don't have is a point who is willing to shoot the ball. I am interested in seeing our prospects on that. But yes it is good to know that the team is actively pursuing players to improve our Championship run.

Gee?? You think I am a little protective of Mendiola???

P.S.

AWESOME PIC OF DeMYA

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

From my perspective, the Monarchs have many more holes to fill than just one at the guard spot. If Whiz can uncover some players who shoot unconsciously and wants to invite them to camp like the French player he invited last year - what's it gonna hurt? I don't think Guiliana has much reason to worry, she's going to get a look next year I'm sure - but it also seems like Whiz is trying to seriously fill a need and is going to get as many people in camp as possible so as to create a little bit more competition for jobs or heaven forbid...we actually end up with several scorers coming off the bench or serious depth at either guard spot. Harkening back on the offensive guard play we had during our post season run...I think we need much more help in the backcourt than just adding Mendiola to the mix - she's but one piece to a rebuild that needs to take place in the Monarchs aging backcourt.

I'm looking for Whiz to also start to get on the phone to Trudi Lacey and see what she'd give up to get one of our post players, maybe the 6'6" one, now that she has the lock on the #1 pick (which shapes up to be the Jacqueline Batteast foregone conclusion barring some monumental change in thinking by LSU's Augustus). They are loaded with wing-ish/2-guard types as it is.