California Signing Day: Getting To Know Chen Yue

BERKELEY – The 2014 women’s basketball national signing window has opened, and CalBears.com will highlight each member of the 2014-15 signing class in a special "Getting To Know You" series from Wednesday to Sunday. Today's feature is on Chen Yue, a post player from Beijing.

Chen, a 6-7 post player – is attached to Tsinghua University in Beijing, the two-time defending champions of the National High School Basketball League in China. As a member of Tsinghua, Chen and her team also won the 2012 edition of the “Asian Children” International Sports Meeting in Russia, the 2014 National Student Sports Game of the People’s Republic of China and the 2014 World School 3v3 Championship.

Individually, Chen has won three major awards in national and international competition. In 2014, she was honored with MVP awards in both the World School 3v3 Championship and in the National High School Basketball League. Chen was also named the “Best Center’ at the “Asian Children” International Sports Meeting in Russia in 2012.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chen Yue to the Cal family, all the way from Beijing, China,” California head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “Basketball has become a global game, and Berkeley provides a world-class education, so we know this will be a wonderful second home for Chen. She will provide an incredible interior presence for us, and our staff was impressed by the mobility she brings with her size. It takes a special dedication to leave your home country to pursue a dream, and I have no doubt that Chen’s drive and work ethic will allow her to excel here. What an exciting day for our program as we welcome our first Chinese signee!”

Chen is the daughter of Bin Chen and Xiao Yue Liu, both of whom played professional basketball in China. Her father played for the Beijing Jinyu Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, and her mother played for the Gansu Province professional team. Chen plans to major in industrial engineering at Cal.

“When I first visited Berkeley, I fell in love with the school,” Chen said. “After a discussion with my family, we decided to choose Berkeley because it’s excellent in both basketball and academics.”

Visit CalBears.com tomorrow for the final Signing Day feature.

Chen Yue Recruiting Rankings By Publication
ESPN HoopGurlz – No. 17 Post

What They’re Saying
“A Chinese prospect with superb mobility, quick feet and great hands, Yue brings an emerging interior game with a high ceiling.” – Dan Olson, Girls Basketball Report

“A low-post performer with superb mobility and hands … catches and finishes in traffic … quick feet in the post with emerging back-to-basket game … off-the-charts potential.” – ESPN HoopGurlz