Quick learning curve for teen titan Li

Li Yuan said the step up in class was tough but rewarding after making her senior debut for China at the Asian Games on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old point guard finished with five points and a game-high seven assists in a 110-42 drubbing of Thailand in Jakarta — not bad for someone who has yet to play a single pro game.

“I played to the level I had trained, but it was not my best level,” Li said afterward.

“I felt the pressure. After all, this was my first match for a senior side at an international event like the Asian Games.

“But I just want to shrug off the pressure and feel the motivation to move forward, playing at my best level on the court.”

China has not taken its strongest squad to Indonesia, instead opting with youngsters at the Games.

None of the 12 players in Jakarta played at the last edition of the Asian Games in South Korea four years ago, while only three featured at the Rio Olympics.

Trusting in youth is at least yielding a certain degree of continuity at the national level.

Center Han Xu also made her senior debut against Thailand, having partnered with Li in 2016 to help China to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup.

Last year, Li helped Shandong claim the junior title at the National Games in Tianjin, scoring 21 points in the final against Guangdong.

Her fine performances over the past two years caught the attention of national women’s team head coach Xu Limin, who has adopted a policy of promoting promising youngsters to the senior side in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Li might not have played a single minute in the Chinese Women’s Basketball Association to date, but she has been looking to many of the league’s stars for guidance at the Games.

“It’s quite important to stay in a positive mentality at such a major event,” she said.

“I have talked a lot with (captain) Shao Ting, who advised me to do what I need to do and to not think too much.

“I want to win the Asian Games gold medal here, but that should be achieved game by game and step by step.”

Next up for China is a tough test against Japan.

Despite being without several prominent names such as Ramu Tokashiki and Asami Yoshida, Japan is still the team to beat for the Chinese.

Japan beat China in the final of the 2015 Asian Championships and the semifinal of the 2017 Asia Cup.

Japanese backcourt players are blessed with outstanding speed and passing vision, which are likely to push Li and her teammates to their limits.

“The most important thing is to fight. We need to prepare everything well off the court,” Li said.