Zhang Ziyu: 7-foot-3 Chinese teenage basketball star shows promise at youth tournament

CNN
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At 7 feet 3 inches tall, Chinese teenage basketball star Zhang Ziyu appears to have an exciting career ahead of her.

Playing in her first international tournament this week, the 17-year-old has already made headlines after dominating the FIBA ​​Under-18 Women's Asia Cup, helping China remain undefeated in their first two matches.

On Monday, Zhang came off the bench for her international debut and scored 19 points on 9-for-9 shooting in just 13 minutes, helping China edge out Indonesia 109-50. She also had seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) later released a video of highlights from her match, showing the youngster dominating her opponents and barely needing to jump to dunk the ball.

Given her height advantage, she looked devastating on defense while also showcasing her shooting accuracy from distance. The footage has since gone viral on social media.

“Zhang Ziyu is a cheat code,” said one user of the social network on X, formerly known as Twitter.

After Monday's decisive match, Zhang shows no signs of slowing down.

Earlier Tuesday, the center totaled 36 points on 80 percent shooting, along with 13 rebounds and four blocks as she inspired China to beat New Zealand 90-68 to maintain its perfect start to the tournament.

China will play Japan on Wednesday, and the teenager will once again be the star.

FIBA lists Zhang as 7-foot-3 on its official website, meaning she is just an inch shorter than San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Considering her height and nationality, social media users have already compared her to NBA legend Yao Ming, who was only three inches taller.

While Zhang still has a long way to go before she matches Yao's career high, her performance this week will surely pique the interest of WNBA teams.