Sports / China |
Miao Lijie to play in WNBA again soon(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-01-19 09:20 China's women basketball team captain Miao Lijie, a former WNBA player for Sacramento Monarchs, will be set to play for the same team again next season. Miao's agent confirmed on Wednesday that he has received the official contract from the Monarchs and the transfer is going underway. If the whole process goes swimmingly, the 25-year-old guard will be making her WNBA appearance again this May, he added. "If I can play in the WNBA again, I will devote all myself to the games and try to have more show time on court," Miao told Xinhua on Wednesday. "And hopefully I can improve through the WNBA games and learn more from American basketball, thus making preparation works for the 2008 Olympics." Miao was the second Chinese player signing with the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA in four days after her national teammate Sui Feifei joined the same team in February 2005. The Heilongjiang-based player signed a one-year contract with the Monarchs in 2005 and crowned as WNBA champions with the team despite missing most of the playing time. "I have gleaned up some experience in the WNBA. This time I will not fiddle away my time and strength, so I hope to gain more useful experience in training and playing," added Miao, who is training with Harbin women's basketball team for the WCBA (Women's China Basketball Association) season. Before leaving for the Monarchs, Miao also expected to help her hometown team to chalk up an impressive result in the WCBA, whose playing schedule does not conflict with that of the WNBA. However, language is an annoying barrier for Miao to overcome. "My English has improved a lot since last time (in 2005), but it is still a little bit tough for me to understand what the coach says. Besides the games, I will try to learn more English."
|
|