A 17-year-old Chinese basketball player is taking social media by storm as some say she could make her way to the WNBA.
Zhang Ziyu, China's 7-foot-3 basketball prodigy, has quickly earned the nickname 'Female Yao Ming,' drawing parallels to the former Houston Rockets star.
Zhang's extraordinary height and skill have made her a sensation on social media, where clips of her effortlessly grabbing rebounds and scoring have gone viral.
NextGen Hoops, a popular basketball page, described the teenage phenomenon as "a cheat code" on the court.
Comments have flooded in on multiple platforms as footage of Zhang goes viral.
One person said on YouTube: "The most important thing as she grows and progresses into playing with adults in the next few years will be to stay healthy."
A second person added: "She will be a big trouble for US women basketball team in next 10 years."
A third person questioned: "She's still 17 and tall, but I wonder if she'll keep growing?"
In China's opening game at the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup, Zhang showcased her dominance, making all nine of her shots in a 109-50 rout of Indonesia, as reported by the Daily Mail.
She racked up 19 points in just 13 minutes, along with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks.
Her stellar performance continued against New Zealand, where she posted 36 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks in a 90-68 victory.
Born in Shangdong province to former professional basketball players, Zhang has been towering over her peers from a young age.
Remarkably, she was 5 feet 2 inches tall in the first grade and had grown to 6 feet 9 inches by the sixth grade.
With her remarkable height, Zhang is already being touted as a future WNBA prospect, a league where the average player's height is around 6 feet.
She even surpasses her fellow center Han Xu, who stands at 6 feet 11 inches and has played for the New York Liberty.
Zhang first caught public attention in 2021 during China's U15 National Basketball League victory.
Despite being only three inches shorter than Yao Ming, Zhang believes her success is not solely due to her height. In an interview with FIBA, she emphasized the importance of honing her skills.
"There are some things we can't control. I regard it as a gift to me," Zhang said. "I can easily reach the basket. But basketball is definitely more than that. I have to learn a lot."
Zhang's most impressive performance in the tournament came on Wednesday, when she scored 44 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and made five assists in an 87-81 win over Japan.
A future star in the making?
