Haixia Zheng
Encyclopedia
Zheng Haixia is a Chinese retired professional women's basketball
player for the China women's national basketball team and the Women's National Basketball Association
.
.
In 1986, she led the Chinese team to fifth in the 10th World Championship, 1st in the Asian Games
, 1st in the World University Games
and 2nd in the World Championship.
In 1992, she inspired her teammates to win the silver in the Barcelona Olympics
. The following year, she won the East Asian Games
, the World University Games and National Games.
In 1994, she claimed the titles in the Asian Championship and ranked 2nd in the World Championship, being named MVP of the event by averaging 26.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and shooting 83.5% from the field.
One year later, she and her teammates retained their title in the 16th Asian Championship.
In 1996, she made her fourth Olympic appearance in Atlanta, Georgia
, averaging 18.1 points, 9 rebounds. One year later, she won the 8th National Games with the PLA team.
in the WNBA
in the United States. At the end of 1998, she returned to China and began to coach the PLA women's team. She is currently a coach in China.
In 1997 Haixia received the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
becoming the first Asian women as well as international player to win any award in the WNBA. She led the WNBA in field goal percentage at .618.
WNBA Career Averages
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the China women's national basketball team and the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
.
International career
In 1983, Haixia made her debut at the Basketball World Championship and finished 3rd. The following year, she and her teammates finished 1st in the Asian Junior Basketball Championship and 3rd in the 23rd Olympic GamesBasketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place-Preliminary Round:...
.
In 1986, she led the Chinese team to fifth in the 10th World Championship, 1st in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, 1st in the World University Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
and 2nd in the World Championship.
In 1992, she inspired her teammates to win the silver in the Barcelona Olympics
Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
. The following year, she won the East Asian Games
East Asian Games
The East Asian Games is a multi-sport event organised by the East Asian Games Association and held every four years since 1993 among athletes from East Asian countries and territories of the Olympic Council of Asia , as well as the Pacific island of Guam, which is a member of the Oceania National...
, the World University Games and National Games.
In 1994, she claimed the titles in the Asian Championship and ranked 2nd in the World Championship, being named MVP of the event by averaging 26.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and shooting 83.5% from the field.
One year later, she and her teammates retained their title in the 16th Asian Championship.
In 1996, she made her fourth Olympic appearance in Atlanta, Georgia
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, averaging 18.1 points, 9 rebounds. One year later, she won the 8th National Games with the PLA team.
WNBA career
In 1997 she retired from the Chinese national team and went to play with the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
in the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
in the United States. At the end of 1998, she returned to China and began to coach the PLA women's team. She is currently a coach in China.
In 1997 Haixia received the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season, to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity." This is the same criterion used by the...
becoming the first Asian women as well as international player to win any award in the WNBA. She led the WNBA in field goal percentage at .618.
Personal life
She started to practice basketball at the age of 12 and was selected by the Wuhan Army club team one year later. In 1983, she entered the national team. She married Xu Qinghua in Beijing on June 19, 2010.Vital statistics
- Position: CenterCenter (basketball)The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
- Height: 6 ft. 8 in
- Shoe size: mens 18 (US) / 54 (EU)
- Team(s): Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
(WNBA)
Career statistics
WNBA Career Totals| Year | Team | G | GS | MIN | FGM | FGA | FTM | FTA | 3PTM | 3PTA | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1997 | LA | 28 | 21 | 557 | 110 | 178 | 39 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 17 | 11 | 46 | 20 | 259 |
| 1998 | LA | 6 | 2 | 98 | 20 | 32 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 45 |
| Totals | 34 | 23 | 655 | 130 | 210 | 44 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 20 | 11 | 52 | 21 | 304 |
WNBA Career Averages
| Year | Team | MIN | FG% | FT% | 3PT% | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1997 | LA | 19.9 | .618 | .661 | .000 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 9.3 |
| 1998 | LA | 16.3 | .625 | .714 | .000 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| Totals | 19.3 | .619 | .667 | .000 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 8.9 |