SYDNEY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — At the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, magnificence and toughness can co-exist in distinguished feminine gamers, corresponding to China’s No. 9 Li Meng.
As the crew’s high scorer, averaging 14.6 factors within the group section, Li took the limelight for her unstoppable taking pictures capability, which helped China attain the knockout stage with 4 wins and one defeat.
Li informed Xinhua that she usually “felt spoiled” by basketball lovers calling her “LeBron Meng” – a reference to celebrity LeBron James. The nickname, nonetheless, did not come out of skinny air.
“I played against No. 9 for a long time. She’s tough and she just never stopped flying,” Breanna Stewart, the Tokyo Olympic Basketball Tournament MVP and a number one determine of the U.S., informed Xinhua, after securing a not-that-comfy 77-63 win.
Li scored a game-high 21 factors in Saturday’s blockbuster. Her three behind-the-arc photographs ignited deafening cheers from 9,477 attendees, the match’s largest crowd up to now, with thrilled followers waving “Go! Team China” banners and shouting out her title “Li Meng, MVP!”
“When the Chinese crowd joined us singing our national anthem together from the very start, I felt as if playing on our home soil and pumped with great courage,” mentioned the sharpshooter, who was recent off the competition with beads of sweat however flawless make-up.
After the ultimate buzzer sounded, many individuals could not take their eyes off Li’s magnificence and vibrant character.
Li enjoys making use of full make-up and sharpening her nails. In her baggage to Sydney, there was a set of manicure instruments to make sure her blue polished fingernails all the time remained in immaculate situation. Every time she shot a three-pointer and raised a hand signaling quantity three, her nails glittered brightly on the middle video board.
To categorical her gratitude after each match, Li bounced like an brisk woman, bowed and despatched hand hearts to her followers sitting in each course of the stadium.
Starting her basketball coaching on the age of 5, the 27-year-old Li rose to fame on the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2010, averaging 15.4 factors and 6.2 rebounds with the MVP award. She later performed a crucial function in China’s profitable qualification marketing campaign to the Tokyo Olympic Games, and was once more awarded the MVP of the match.
The veteran has developed a giant coronary heart in her third World Cup journey.
On Tuesday, carrying her iconic No. 9 jersey and brushing her hair right into a excessive ponytail as ordinary, Li stood on the courtroom for the fifth time in China’s beginning lineup, poised to battle their final rival of the group section, Belgium.
With a file of averaging 1.75 three-pointers within the earlier 4 video games, Li for the primary time ended with no basket from behind the arc. But that did not cease her from turning into the sport’s high scorer with 16 factors.
“My hands must have been touched by a jinx,” Li joked about her three-pointer miss.
“That’s all right. Just one trick didn’t work. I have many other skills in package,” mentioned Li. “Not every three-pointer goes smoothly. Without it, I can come up with other knacks to implement the offense.”
The relentless bucket-getter achieved 4 layups, one fade-away soar shot, one pull-up soar shot and one soar shot. With solely 16 seconds remaining, Li assisted Li Yueru for a layup within the paint, extending China’s largest lead over Belgium to 26 factors.
During the sport, a collision made Li tumble and fall, drawing folks’s concern over the 1.83-meter taking pictures guard, who had suffered a torn cruciate ligament twice in her teenagers and wore knee pads all through the group section.
Lifted up by her teammates, Li responded with two free throws made.
Described by FIBA as “aggressive, able to contribute in so many different areas” and “driving force for China,” the competent Li took teamwork as her high precedence.
Li mentioned China performs “teamwork basketball,” which implies each participant ought to give full play of their private specialities contained in the group as an entire, in a bid to higher enhance the crew’s general competence.
The curtain is ready to rise on Thursday, as China and France compete for a berth within the semifinals.
Chinese crowds at dwelling and overseas await seeing these hot-red ladies journey the air and shoot for glory as soon as extra on the Sydney Superdome.
“We look forward to unleashing more ability and energy in the semifinals,” mentioned Li. “No matter who we play against next, every game will be a tough test. But we will strive tenaciously to show the grit of our team, which is the most important thing.”