Natalie Chou, Trailblazer
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SCORECARD AMERICAN VOICES impressive lineage FORGIVE NATALIE CHOU for having a fangirl moment. The 6' 1" sophomore Baylor guard gets positively giddy at the mention of the Nets’ Jeremy Lin—even more so when she thinks about the possibility of meeting him. “I would say, ‘I’m a huge fan, you’re amazing, you’re doing great,’ ” Chou, 19, says with a giggle. Lin isn’t just some One thing Quanli had percentage (42.3). She hopes player Chou looks up to. was basketball, and so she that by playing for a top D-I Like him, she is changing became her daughter’s program, she can inspire the perception of Asian- coach. “We got into a lot more Asian-Americans American basketball players. of fights,” Chou says. “We to get involved in college Chou was born in Texas, wouldn’t talk. It was hard; athletics. According to the but her mom, Quanli Li, usually with coaches, you Institute for Diversity and grew up in China during just see them in practice, Ethics in Sports, Asian- the Cultural Revolution and but then you can go home. Americans made up just was a member of Beijing’s With my mom, I was with 2.4% of female athletes best girls’ team, which led her 24/7.” (Natalie did get across all three collegiate to Quanli being moved a break from Mom when divisions in 2015–16, the away from her family to Natalie played for NBA most recent year for which train with the national veteran Jason Terry on his data is available. In men’s team when she was 13. Lady Jets AAU team from sports, the number was even By 18 she was playing sixth through ninth grades.) lower: 1.8%. “My Asian- professionally in China. All those grueling American friends, they love basketball, but their main focus is academics,” Asian-Americans made up just 2.4% of says Chou. “Branching out collegiate female athletes in the latest study culturally and excelling in both would be a great by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. opportunity.” Chou is expected to play a bigger role this year for Ultimately she moved to workouts paid off. At the No. 3–ranked Bears, Texas in the mid-1990s Plano West High, Chou and she should get a lot of with her husband, Joseph, was a McDonald’s All- open looks with 6' 7" Kalani who was studying at Lamar American in 2016. Even would be easy—but that Brown and 6' 4" Lauren Cox University in Beaumont. with that success, though, fueled my fire. I wanted to in the frontcourt. And when Three years later Natalie she didn’t always command show them, You don’t know she gets it: “Don’t judge a PHOTOGRAPHY ROGERS/BAYLOR ROBBIE was born. “They didn’t therespectofheropponents. what you’re talking about.” book by its cover,” she says. really have anything, they “In middle school,” Chou As a freshman last season “You don’t see a lot of us. didn’t know anyone, they says, “[defenders] were like, Chou averaged 4.7 points But once we’re out there, you didn’t speak English that Oh, O.K., I got her. They off the bench, and she better watch out.” well,” Chou says. thought [guarding me] led Baylor in three-point —Jeremy Fuchs 20 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED / NOVEMBER 13, 2017.