The Basics
Position: Center
Current Team: New York Liberty | #21
Draft: 2019 | China | 2nd round (14th overall)
The Down Low
Han Xu was the first Chinese player to be drafted to the WNBA in 22 years. And her reaction was very cute. Xu is already a star in China, playing for the national team and her club team Xinjiang Magic Deer (which is an incredible name.)
At 6'9, she is tied with Brittney Griner as the tallest in the WNBA. But one of her talents is moving and shooting with the fluidity of a guard. She shot 5-for-10 from 3 in her limited minutes her rookie season. Originally joining the league at only 19, she's still developing her skills and the Liberty expect big things.
In addition to her young start, Xu also has faced difficulty with the language barrier. Although she speaks some English, she generally uses a translator. But that barrier does not stop her from speaking up. This article includes a sweet story about how she wanted to cheer her teammates on, but was concerned about saying the wrong thing, so instead she became the loudest clapper. She's also used her platform to speak out against anti-Asian racism:
It is frightening and upsetting to see the rising hate crimes and attacks against the Asian American community and in particular in New York, a community I love. We all need to show solidarity for those being targeted and take action to stop this horrific violence. Please be kind to one another.
Finally, this is very niche, but I am obsessed with the photo edit she made of herself showing love from one tall woman to another (Alberto Giacometti's Femme Debout I):
Notable Quotables
The WNBA is the best, so I want to play in it.
[Source]
Highlight Reel
Xu showed out in a preseason game against her former Chinese national teammates:
More on Han
- New York Liberty’s Han Xu speaks out against anti-Asian racism (Geoff Magliocchetti, Empire Sports Media)