Feature: China's '27-year-old rookie' proves age is no barrier

by sportswriters Su Bin and Liu Yichun

DANDONG, China, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At 27, Zhai Ruoyun was not the typical rookie making her first international appearance. But when she finally earned a call-up to China's women's national basketball team at last month's 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup, she showed she belonged on the big stage.

While much attention focused on China's 18-year-old towering center Zhang Ziyu making her national team debut, Zhai also impressed in her first appearance on the global stage with clinical outside shooting.

In China's 110-59 rout of Indonesia in the group opener on July 13, Zhai connected on four of seven 3-pointers for 12 points. Across five games, she averaged 5.2 points in 18.4 minutes of action per game, shooting 53.3 percent from beyond the arc.

"Whether I'm with the national team or my club, my attitude is simply to do my best," Zhai told Xinhua. "Do what I'm supposed to do and bring out my own strengths, that's enough."

During the three-month preparations for the Asia Cup, Zhai felt marked improvements on her shooting consistency and her strength for physical contact.

Selected in the national team for the first time at 27, Zhai may seem a late bloomer, yet she brushes off the '27-year-old rookie' label.

"I don't care what other people say. I just need to do what I should do, regardless of age or what games I play," she said.

With bigger stature than her peers in primary school, Zhai was recommended by her PE teacher to a basketball coach. In her first year in junior middle school, she took up basketball.

The path to stardom followed. In 2016, she was enrolled in Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, a traditional women's basketball powerhouse. With 1,526 points, she still holds the Chinese university basketball league's all-time scoring record for women until now, including a 50-point masterclass in a game in April 2018.

After graduation in 2021, she joined the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) side Shanxi.

The transition to professional game required an adjustment period, as the former college basketball star needed to adapt to a more sophisticated tactical system and a higher level of physicality.

"In college, we didn't run many sets, whoever had more abilities took the shots," she explained. "But in the pro league you have to adapt to your role required by the club. As I'm a shooter, I need to shoot more and try to help the team that way."

After playing four seasons in the WCBA, Zhai has become a key rotation player for Shanxi, appearing in more than 30 regular-season games in each of the past two campaigns.

Zhai says her defense has improved since her rookie year and she has handled the league's physicality much better. With the guidance of overseas coaches, her understanding of tactics has also deepened.

But she also feels her dribbling and offensive finishing require more work. "Relying only on shooting is far from enough, for me everything else is actually pretty weak."

Like Zhai, several student players have joined Shanxi over the past four years. In a young team, Zhai feels that the communication between student players is smooth and the team atmosphere is conducive to individual growth.

Asked about her future plans, Zhai would adopt a live-in-the-moment approach.

"I don't look too far ahead. I take one step at a time and just do what needs to be done right now," she said. "I've always believed in handling the present rather than overthinking the distant future." ■