CAITLIN Clark may not be the WNBA’s biggest talent for long.
The Indiana Fever guard, 22, arrived in the league with massive hype thanks to her scoring exploits in college.
Zhang Ziyu is ????????????
— FIBA (@FIBA) June 24, 2024
17-year-old center (2,20cm/7'3'') registered 19 points and 7 rebounds on a perfect shooting (9/9) in her FIBA debut#U18AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/10XKaDESYL
But she cannot stand up to Zhang Ziyu – in terms of stature at least.
The Chinese teenager is being tipped to be the female Yao Ming after her highlights went viral.
Zhang and her 7-foot-3 frame have been leading China to impressive wins at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup in Shenzen.
The 17-year-old center towered over the opposition in a viral compilation, racking up points and making blocks.
Zhang went 9-for-9 in China’s 109-50 opening-game demolition of Indonesia, scoring 19 points in 13 minutes, with seven rebounds.
She put up 36 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a 90-68 win over New Zealand.
And that was followed by a 44-point, 14-rebound showing in an 87-81 win over Japan.
“Zhang Ziyu, aka WNBA’s next Yao Ming,” a fan posted on X.
“She’s going to make thousands of dollars in the WNBA,” added another.
“She does have good touch very impressive,” a third posted.
Zhang is from Shangdong province and both her parents played pro basketball in China.
According local reports, she was 5 feet 2 inches tall in the first grade and had hit 6-foot-9 by the sixth.
“There are some things we can’t control. I regard it as a gift to me,” Zhang told FIBA.
“I can easily reach the basket. But basketball is definitely more than that. I have to learn a lot.”
Clark was seemingly involved in a sideline argument with head coach Christie Sides during Sunday’s 88-87 loss to the Chicago Sky.
By Damian Burchardt, Assistant US Sports Editor
CAITLIN Clark’s omission from the Team USA roster can be easily justified from a purely basketball perspective.
The Indiana Fever star had an up-and-down start to the 2024 WNBA season, leading the league in turnovers while shooting under 30% for 3 through the first three weeks of the campaign.
She didn’t outplay the likes of Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jewell Loyd to earn the nod.
A little break could actually aid Clark’s transition from college basketball to the pros.
The 6-foot guard hardly had time to rest between Iowa’s run to the March Madness final, the 2024 NBA Draft, and the WNBA season tip-off.
On the other hand, Clark’s absence could be viewed as a wasted opportunity to promote the Olympic women’s basketball team in Paris.
Considering the humongous hype her first week in the W generated, she would definitely boost viewership figures of Team USA’s games.
The 6-foot point guard made a pass instead of shooting the ball on what looked like the last two possessions of the game.
After the game, she downplayed her lack of shooting in crunchtime.
“I’m sure there was an opportunity or two for me to probably attempt another shot there at the end, but I trust my teammates,” the Fever rookie said.
“Obviously 13 assists, that means my teammates scored off of 13 of my passes.
“It’s a really great number so I’m going to give them the ball every time. Give them an opportunity to score. I believe in them.”
