Since it was established, the Chinese women's basketball team has been the dominant power in Asia. When they took part in the World Basketball Championships in San Paul in Brazil in 1983, the first international competition, they came the 3rd. And that was the first time this squad participated in a major international competition. In the following year, they also took bronze at the 22nd Olympic Game in Los Angles. The team displayed on court began to grab world attention.
Since then the Chinese Women' Basketball team has been one of the top-ranked teams in the world. It was in 1992, at the 25th Olympic Games in Barcelona that the Chinese women's basketball team reached its peak, reaching the final and wining the silver medal.
The successes of Chinese Women team can be partially attributed to a super star and powerful center: Zheng Haixia.
In1984, Zheng became both the youngest and tallest Chinese women's player when he played for a Chinese team at the Los Angeles Olympics. In 1989, she set a new record when she mesmorize the Soviet Union team by scoring 67 points in an invitational game. She played four times at the Olympic Games for China, and her average FG rate in those game was 80 percent. She won many titles during her basket career, including MVP at world championships in 1994. In 1997, zheng joined the WNBA in the United States, and became a professional basketball player. With her help, the Los Angels Sparks has become a strong force in the WNBA. Now, today she is the head coach of Bayi Women's basketball team.
The Chinese Women's Basketball Association League (WCBA) made its debut in 2002. On Jan 15, 2005, Bayi beat Liaoning 101-94 to win this year's WCBA champion. The team has now won all the titles since the WCBA was launched four years ago.
2004-2005 WCBA Ranking
1. Bayi China Telecom
2. Liaoning Baocheng
3. Jiangsu Nangang
4. Heilongjiang Zhenning
5. Shenbu Sanyang
6. Guangdong Hongjia
7. Shanghai Dongfang
8. Beijing Shougang
9. Henan Yuguang
10. Jilin Aohua
11. Fujian Tailaoshan
12. Hebei Lulu
(China.org.cn January 26, 2005)
