New York Liberty to host Chinese national team in WNBA pre-season game

NEW YORK, March 30 (Xinhua) -- New York Liberty, which finished 11th in the 12-team WNBA 2018 season, will host the Chinese national team in a pre-season game scheduled for May 9 at Brooklyn's Barclay Center.

Organized by Liberty ownership, the game is expected to promote people-to-people exchange between the United States and China, and support women athletes globally, according to a press release.

"Having the opportunity to showcase world-class women's basketball through our relationship with the Chinese Women's National Basketball Team is an absolute privilege," said Liberty owner Joe Tsai.

The game is among a growing number of collaborative events between the China Basketball Association (CBA) and overseas leagues. The 2019 FIBA World Cup will be held in eight cities in China from August 31 to Setember 15. Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets will also stage two NBA pre-season games in Shanghai and Shenzhen, respectively, in October.

Founded in 1997, the New York Liberty is one of the eight original franchises of the WNBA. Its home games are primarily played at Westchester County Center just north of New York City.