BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) side Sichuan announced on Sunday the signing of Chinese national team captain Shao Ting from Beijing.
"Following friendly communication between the player and the club, Shao Ting has reached an agreement to join Sichuan. She will play for Sichuan from the 2020/21 season," read a statement posted on the club's social media.
Shao has played for Beijing since 2013, helping the team win three straight WCBA titles.
The 30-year-old small forward has represented China on the international stage since 2014, featuring in the 2014 World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games. In 2018, she helped China claim the Asian Games gold medal after an eight-year spell and ranked sixth at the FIBA Women's World Cup.
Shao was offered a trial by the WNBA side Minnesota Lynx for their training camp in 2017, and represented the team in WNBA matches in 2019.
In the Olympic qualifying tournament earlier this year, Shao led China to win three consecutive games and earn a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.
As a product of a cultivating system between Sichuan Sports Administration and College of P.E. and Sports of Beijing Normal University, Shao has made great contributions to the development of the sport in Sichuan, as the province has witnessed a breakthrough in terms of both Asian Games and China Youth Games gold medals.
Before embarking on her WCBA journey, Shao claimed five China University Basketball Association (CUBA) titles and three China University Basketball Super League (CUBS) crowns, becoming the first player to win titles in the three leagues.
She has now achieved a "triple-jump" from China's university league to professional league and then the national team.
The 2019/20 WCBA season saw its remaining matches canceled on June 10. Beijing placed first while Sichuan ended 12th among 18 outfits. Enditem
