So, while the Indiana Fever are slowly becoming the smallest team in the history of professional basketball, the New York Liberty have in fact signed Han Xu. And yeah, this is not ideal.
But Han Xu is 6’11. She is 6’11. And if you don’t know, she’s somebody who the last time she played in the WNBA, she averaged eight points per game off the bench in a season where she did this in 16 minutes. She averaged eight points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
That is really good stats given the time. Not only that, she is somebody who has gotten a hundred times better. She was 23 years old. She averaged eight and six off the bench. She has gone back to China where she has been arguably the best player in the Chinese league as far as bigs are concerned.
Her team’s been exceptional. Then she went to Australia where she is averaging about 17 points per game on ridiculous shooting. Not only that, she shoots the three. She shoots about 35% from three. She rebounds, she blocks shots.
This is not like an elite starter level center or anything. Actually a good starter for some teams. She’s not going to be able to sprint up and down the floor, but as a backup for Jonquel, she’s better than Nyara Sabally. And she’s going to be coming over on a minimum because she has a reserved contract.
This is somebody that is going to help the New York Liberty right away and increase their depth chart while continuing to be on a minimum. This is why the New York Liberty have been able to sign all of those players, purely because all they are doing is signing depth on minimum contracts.
She is nearly 7 feet tall. The last time she played in the WNBA, this is her beside Li Yueru. Li Yueru is huge, but she towers over Li Yueru. And she is the much better player for China.
Han Xu is the much better player versus Li Yueru. Now you’re looking at a player that is going to make the New York Liberty better and the Indiana Fever have no answer for. They actually don’t. They don’t have the size.
And you might say A’ja Wilson is quick and all, but is she as fast as Damiris Dantas? I don’t know what the Indiana Fever are going to do long term. You’re looking at her as a mobile big as well.
She’s there for the Chinese national team, on the perimeter taking a pass from Kamilla Cardoso. The women’s CBA in China has a lot of WNBA-level bigs. A lot of WNBA-level bigs. And she has been the best of them.
She’s been putting it up to WNBA-level bigs and she’s been cooking them. She’s been absolutely cooking them. She can play inside, she can play outside, and she’s nearly 7 feet tall.
You’re looking at her rolling to the basket, towering over everybody in Australia. Step back, she’s shooting step backs, she’s shooting post fades. She’s nearly 7 feet tall. 7-footers aren’t meant to do this.
She’s the most skilled 7-footer in the world in women’s basketball. And again, this is already a team that didn’t need her. She would start for a lot of teams.
You might say she didn’t start when she was in the WNBA last time. She was 22 years old. She was a kid. She averaged three points in eight minutes per game as a 19-year-old.
She’s out here shooting threes, nearly 35% from three. She shot 10 of 12 in a game on mostly jump shots. She’s posting up on the elbow, dribbling in, stepping through, finishing with the left hand.
What is going on? This is a player the Liberty have just got on a minimum. This is unfair. This is straight up unfair.
They assembled the Monstars. There’s nothing you can do. And the only team that might have a puncher’s chance is the Aces because they’ve just signed Kennedy Carter.
At this stage, I have no idea what they’re attempting to do. I don’t know how anyone is even going to try to compete with this New York Liberty team.
Their bench currently is Pauline Astier, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Marine Johannes, Raquel Carrera, and Han Xu.
That bench is better than half the starting fives in the league. That lineup would win around 15 games. It wouldn’t be a playoff team, but they’d win games. That bench lineup is a starting five.
They would destroy the Portland Fire.
I have no idea what is happening or what teams are going to do to compete with the New York Liberty. I don’t know if it’s even possible.
Is it just about enjoying basketball while this team walks to a title? Because they have depth, shooting, more depth, more shooting, and more size than everyone else.
They may not have the speed, but no team competing with them clearly outspeeds them. Teams that beat them with speed are weaker overall.
And what about last year? The New York Liberty had injuries for half the season. They started 12-0, then got hit with injuries. Fiebich went to EuroBasket, and it didn’t work out.
A lot of it was due to injuries, peaking at the wrong time, and Breanna Stewart having a torn MCL in the playoffs.
This team should be unbeatable.
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