Natalie Chou's Chinese Fundamentals Earn Her All-America Nod
Natalie Chou's Chinese Fundamentals Earn Her All-America Nod
Since her near death as an infant, Nathalie Chou has developed into an All-America basketball court with help from her mother, a former Chinese national team member.
By Kendrick E. Johnson
When Natalie Chou was just a week old, she stopped breathing.
Since her near death as an infant, Chou has been a source of constant improvement in everything she does.
Some 18 years later, the 6-foot-1 Chou, has developed into one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. With a dependable in-and-out game, Chou is considered the most versatile wing player in the Class of 2016 according to scouts.
Thanks to her versatility and excellent work ethic, the girl who averaged double digits off the bench for her Plano West Lady Wolves squad as a freshman, is leaving the school as its most decorated player ever and one of the most accomplished from the state of Texas in recent memory.
“I practice with my mom every day and she makes sure I’m prepared and really skilled at all positions,” Chou said.
Chou’s mother and personal coach, Li Quanli, definitely knows what it takes to succeed at the next level. Li is a former member of the Chinese national team and played pro basketball in her homeland for a decade.
Besides her size and skills, many scouts were impressed with the solid fundamentals-based foundation Chou possessed. She received offers from Cal, UCLA, Texas and just about every top school in the nation before signing with the Baylor Lady Bears and Coach Kim Mulkey.
“I decided on Baylor because I love the coaching staff, it’s also really close to home and I’m really close to my family so it was good fit,” Chou said after a recent workout. “I’m so excited about going to the next level and having a chance to be a part of March Madness next year at Baylor.”
Kristen Perry, who coached Chou at Plano West, definitely feels the Lady Bears are getting a special talent.
“I love Natalie and I’m going to miss her terribly,” Perry said. “I’m not going to miss her because she’s an incredible athlete, but because she’s a great teammate and a good kid who I expect to be an impact player at Baylor.”
Despite coming up short in her bid to bring Plano West a state title, Chou’s teams combined to post an outstanding record of 127-20 in her four years on the varsity roster.
This season, Chou averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.6 steals per game and was named a finalist for the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award. All this while she sat out a majority of fourth quarters while Plano, which boasted four future Division 1 players, cruised passed less-talented squads.
Along with the Wootten Award nomination, Chou also became the first girl from the Plano school district to be elected to the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Not bad for a girl who nearly didn’t make it.
“It’s a huge blessing, and I feel very honored to be playing in such an elite game,” Chou, a three-time All-State pick, said. “I’ve worked really hard my high school career and it’s been one of my goals to play in the McDonald’s All-American game and I’m really excited.”
When Natalie Chou was just a week old, she stopped breathing.
Since her near death as an infant, Chou has been a source of constant improvement in everything she does.
Some 18 years later, the 6-foot-1 Chou, has developed into one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. With a dependable in-and-out game, Chou is considered the most versatile wing player in the Class of 2016 according to scouts.
Thanks to her versatility and excellent work ethic, the girl who averaged double digits off the bench for her Plano West Lady Wolves squad as a freshman, is leaving the school as its most decorated player ever and one of the most accomplished from the state of Texas in recent memory.
“I practice with my mom every day and she makes sure I’m prepared and really skilled at all positions,” Chou said.
Chou’s mother and personal coach, Li Quanli, definitely knows what it takes to succeed at the next level. Li is a former member of the Chinese national team and played pro basketball in her homeland for a decade.
Besides her size and skills, many scouts were impressed with the solid fundamentals-based foundation Chou possessed. She received offers from Cal, UCLA, Texas and just about every top school in the nation before signing with the Baylor Lady Bears and Coach Kim Mulkey.
“I decided on Baylor because I love the coaching staff, it’s also really close to home and I’m really close to my family so it was good fit,” Chou said after a recent workout. “I’m so excited about going to the next level and having a chance to be a part of March Madness next year at Baylor.”
Kristen Perry, who coached Chou at Plano West, definitely feels the Lady Bears are getting a special talent.
“I love Natalie and I’m going to miss her terribly,” Perry said. “I’m not going to miss her because she’s an incredible athlete, but because she’s a great teammate and a good kid who I expect to be an impact player at Baylor.”
Despite coming up short in her bid to bring Plano West a state title, Chou’s teams combined to post an outstanding record of 127-20 in her four years on the varsity roster.
This season, Chou averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.6 steals per game and was named a finalist for the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award. All this while she sat out a majority of fourth quarters while Plano, which boasted four future Division 1 players, cruised passed less-talented squads.
Along with the Wootten Award nomination, Chou also became the first girl from the Plano school district to be elected to the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Not bad for a girl who nearly didn’t make it.
“It’s a huge blessing, and I feel very honored to be playing in such an elite game,” Chou, a three-time All-State pick, said. “I’ve worked really hard my high school career and it’s been one of my goals to play in the McDonald’s All-American game and I’m really excited.”