Lijie Miao

Miao started her career on the international stage as a 16-year-old at the 1998 world championships, and ever since has embraced that kind of pressure. After averaging 12.3 points at the 2002 worlds, Miao played in her first Olympic Games in 2004. She averaged 14.2 points while China placed ninth. At the worlds in 2006, Miao averaged 17.6 points - then a career high for an international competition - but she surpassed that mark with superb play in the 2008 Beijing Games. She led China to a fourth-place finish, its highest since 1992, while averaging 17.9 points and hitting 15 of 30 from 3-point range. In 2005, Miao made the journey over to the WNBA and joined the Sacramento Monarchs. She saw limited minutes and only played 18 games, so she returned back home to play professionally in China. Miao has played for Heilongjiang, Beijing and Shenyang, for whom she has played since 2009. Even now as an aging veteran, Miao still has the ability to dominate games - she averaged 25.2 points and 5.0 assists for Shenyang this season. While known for her scoring and 3-point shooting, she is also regarded as a great teammate who brings intensity and energy to every game she plays. Last summer, she was crowned MVP of the Asia Championship after leading her team to gold, as she did at the same event in 2009.