As we prepare to soon end and then begin another Olympic cycle, it looks like some of the players who starred four years ago at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup will be stepping out at Tokyo 2020 (Photo – FIBA)

That is part of the joy of doing what BlueStarMedia does, supported by Mike Flynn. It’s about that identifying of talent, watching them take those first global footsteps at major youth events and then blossoming into senior talent.

With Tokyo coming into focus, as well as another edition of the #FIBAU17 only days later (Cluj, Romania), it was interesting that at the recent #FIBAOQT tournaments, there were some players who had played at U17 only four years ago and were now ready to potentially make that jump to the Olympics.

Xu Han – China

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As I have written previously, people laughed when I talked about speaking to Han in Zaragoza (Spain) back in 2016 and how she told me she would play in the WNBA. That is not what Chinese players do I was told. But there was always something different about her from the outset. Not just her towering size, an ability to move effectively from end to end on the floor and the amazingly efficient finishing. She was learning English, she wanted to be trailblazer and so it has proven after not only getting drafted, but then hitting the WNBA hardwood. She also played at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 in Tenerife and showed she is a top drawer performer. During that time, she conducted one of my favorite ever interviews, with a wideness of smile and sense of fun I have not quite seen before. A breath of fresh air in every way, she has catapulted herself to being one of my absolute favorites in the women’s game. She is damn good too. She was excellent again at the recent FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, with her 13 points and 6 boards per game helping China go unbeaten. She may only be 21-years-old, but she is one to watch for sure when the Olympics tip-off.

Yuan Li – China

While the focus has been on the emerging ‘bigs’ for China (don’t forget about the super Yueru Li who didn’t play in Zaragoza but is 1999 born), there is also the massive potential of playmaker Yuan Li. She is competing in the most difficult spot on the floor so her development will take a little longer, but after making what was a steady if unspectacular show four years ago at the U17, she has progressed nicely. She played more than 20 minutes per game with the senior team in Tenerife at the World Cup and then around the same at the recent Olympic Qualifiers. It’s exciting to have the backcourt and frontcourt covered in terms of rising stars that can be the backbone of the senior team for many years to come.

Ru Zhang – China

The third member of the Chinese rising star quartet (including Yueru Li) likely to step out in Tokyo, Zhang has went a little more under the radar. She has not gotten the numbers, individual accolades or even in the case of Han, the WNBA exposure, but she is pushing for a place. She played only 1 game in the Olympic Qualifiers so will be sweating on her place for Tokyo. Although to be fair, the forward line is looking ever more stacked. Even if she is just squeezed out, she will surely feature in future competitions and we have to remember just how amazing it is for China that their average age in those Olympic Qualifiers was just 24!

Ezi Magbegor – Australia

The MVP of the #FIBAU17 four years ago when the Sapphires won that historic gold, Magbegor has since played at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and also played in the recent Olympic Qualifiers in Bourges. She is looking a lock to take to the court with the Opals and is of course, now able to learn from the one and only Liz Cambage. Magbegor still has some steps to take if she wants to become an elite level player that can make a big impact, but she is moving forwards.

Shaina Pellington – Canada

One of the most interesting players who could be in Tokyo from Zaragoza, Pellington did a really nice job during the Qualifiers in Ostend. While she didn’t play huge minutes, considering Tenerife 2018 and the Women’s Basketball World Cup came too soon for her, this was an assured global outing with much promise. She looked after the ball impressively, shot it really well and also did a fine job on the glass to add more steel to an already physically tough Canadian team. I would love to see her get the nod for Tokyo. Even if she is far from being the complete player just yet.

Laeticia Amihere – Canada

Whether Amihere finds that Tokyo comes just too soon will be something to keep an eye on, but there is no doubt that she has a shot at playing after featuring in the Qualifiers in Belgium. She was by far the youngest player of course and her game remains pretty much raw, out of that brilliant athletic talent. With her skills being honed with each passing week and month with the Gamecocks and playing under Dawn Staley, we will see where she is in another 4-5 months. I do have a soft spot for Amihere from the time she attempted a dunk at #FIBAU19 in Udine. Having the balls to do that was big and even if she didn’t quite manage to execute, it was a moment when Canadian basketball truly realized it has decisions to make in these coming years. Can Canada Basketball allow the team approach to be more maverick and dynamic? Can they look to build a team around more than only the impressive Kia Nurse? Because very possibly, with Amihere, if she knuckles down and works hard, they have another star in the making to go with the likes of the wonderful core including Natalie Achonwa and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe.

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