BEIRUT (Lebanon) – Chinese women’s basketball legend and FIBA Hall of Famer Miao Lijie has been named as the ambassador for FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025 to be played in Shenzhen (China) from July 13-20, 2025.

Miao Lijie, is arguably China’s most celebrated women’s basketball player

Miao’s presence in the Chinese roster was so dominant and significant that she returned a scoring average in the double-digit almost every time she donned the National Team colours.

“I am honoured to be chosen as the ambassador for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025,” Miao said. “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be the ambassador for an event that China is hosting after a gap of 10 years.”

“I owe it to basketball and the Chinese fans to have made me the personality I am. And FIBA Women’s Asia Cup was one of those platforms that highlighted my performance as a player. Therefore, it’s all the more special to be associated with such a great event in this role,” she added.

She blazed the trail on her debut in FIBA’s flagship event for women teams in Asia at the 1999 edition of the competition at Shizuoka (Japan) with a superlative average of 15 points per game. China failed to make the podium, the only time the team ever failed to win a medal in their participation history in the event, but Miao made sure that never happened again.

Miao was at the forefront as China began a three-titles-in-a-row spree – leading the team to championship triumphs at 2001 (Bangkok), 2003 (Sendai) and in front of a home crowd at Qinhuangdao in 2005.

She was rested for the 2007 edition at Incheon, as China having already qualified, and preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, fielded a developmental team.

She was back in familiar hunting mode two years later leading China to back-to-back titles at 2009 Chennai and 2011 Omura editions.

Amidst all her FIBA Women’ Asia Cup conquests, Miao was on a rampage in her professional career too, becoming the only Asian player to be on the roster of a WNBA champion team – when she played an active role in Sacramento Monarchs’ triumphant campaign in 2005. Miao is also the first player to score 6,000 points in the WCBA, while helping the team win the only title in 2011.

“The city of Shenzhen is a city of the future. It is therefore very significant that the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup is being played in this city. The fans in Shenzhen are certainly in for a special treat of basketball,” Miao said.

“I call upon all the basketball fans to come in large numbers to watch the games in Shenzhen. And for some reason, if you cannot be physically present, support the sport in any way you can.

Miao also donned the Chinese colours in three Olympics – 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing (when the team lost to Russia in the bronze-medal play-off) and 2012 London – and on three occasions at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup – 2002 (China), 2006 (Brazil) and 2010 (Czechia).

She was also the leader of the campaign when China won the gold medal at three Asian Games(2002, 2006, 2010).

Miao was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2024 to become only the third Chinese player (after Haixia Chen-2021 and Yao Ming-2023) and fourth Chinese overall (including coach Mou Zuoyun in 2019) to achieve that honour.

FIBA