By Reporter Tsai Hou-jui / Taipei
Ava Chang, a 17-year-old Taiwanese-American basketball prodigy, officially joined the training camp of the Chinese Taipei White Team for the 45th William Jones Cup on the 11th. Accompanied by her parents, she met with head coach Lin Ji-yun and the media in the morning. She shared her journey into basketball and openly declared her goal of reaching the WNBA, inspired by Kaitlyn Chen, the first Taiwanese-American WNBA player.
Born in 2009, the 178 cm tall Chang hails from Denver, Colorado, and holds both Taiwanese and American heritage. This summer, she showcased exceptional talent at the elite AAU event adidas 3SSB 17U, averaging 17 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals over 10 games, with a three-point shooting percentage of 34.3%, ranking among the top 10 scorers in the event.
Her impressive skills earned her scholarship offers from 25 NCAA Division I universities, and she ultimately committed to Northwestern University, a powerhouse in the Big Ten Conference. She cited the school's strong academic environment and the player development capabilities of head coach Carla Berube and her staff as key factors in her decision.
Regarding her future career, Chang did not hide her ambition, setting her sights on the WNBA and overseas professional leagues. "My ultimate goal is definitely to make it to the WNBA, to go as far as I can and play as long as I can in basketball," she said. Notably, Northwestern head coach Berube previously coached Kaitlyn Chen at Princeton University.
Chang openly named Chen as her idol. "She is the first Taiwanese-American player in the WNBA, and that's what I want to do. I hope to play as well as she does, and I want to learn her story and journey," she said. In academics, Chang has laid out a clear five-year plan: completing her undergraduate degree in three years and pursuing a master's in business over the following two years, balancing high-level basketball with a strong academic record.
To adapt to Taiwanese basketball style early, Chang revealed she has connected with Taiwanese guard Lin Yu-han, who is currently playing in the U.S., through mutual friends. They discussed topics such as Lin's experience playing for Taiwan and the differences between Taiwanese and American basketball environments. Now, after about 12 years, Chang is excited to set foot on Taiwanese soil again. She aims to make the most of this training opportunity with the Chinese Taipei White Team and hopes to complete her passport application so she can one day officially represent Taiwan on the international stage.