This weeks edition of our foriegn player scouting deals with players from Asian countries, as well as a couple from the Pacific and Brazil.
First up, there is Bian Lan, a 6'1" guard. She is currently playing for the Jiangsu Phoenix alongside WNBA player Ann Strother. She also played for China in the Olympics, which took place in Beijing. For the tournament, she averaged 11.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. She shot 40% from the field as well as from the three point line. Bian Lan is an intriguing prospect because she's fundamentally strong and takes contact much better than her Asian counterparts. If Bian can continue to improve her shooting and take contact, I think the WNBA will call her name soon. 
Next up, we had a bit North, to South Korea, where Choi Yoon Ah resides. She is currently playing for the Shinhan Bank S-Birds of the Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL). Last year, the Washington Mystics were looking to sign Choi, but she elected to stay and train with her National Team prior to the Olympics. It was a good thing she decided to stay because the 5'8" point guard played a huge roll in Korea's finish in Beijing. Choi averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. She shot 50% from three and a stellar 64% from the floor. Choi is a very smart, quick player who knows how to penetrate and create for others. She has also shown that she can take physical play. The point guard position is always a hot commodity in the WNBA, and someone should take a chance on this Korean prospect.
Let's now head south, to New Zealand where we meet Angela Marino. This 5'5"Kiwi has been on the scene for a couple years, in both her play with the New Zealand National Team and her play in Australia's WNBL. She is currently Adelaide Link Lightning where she is currently averaging 14.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. She is also shooting 40% from the three. In Beijing, her numbers mirrored her WNBL stats, averaging 15.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Marino is an athletic and pesky player. She's very energetic and will shoot from everywhere. If you're looking for someone to challenge defenders and spread opposing defenses to break defenses, Marino is your girl.
Finally, we head to the beautiful land of Brazil, where Franciele Nascimiento. Franciele, as she is known by in Brazil, is playing for Rivas Ecopolis along side Chicago's Cathy Joens in the Spanish League. Nascimiento is a bit of a project, but she has potential. She is averaging 2.5 points, and 1 rebound in 9 minutes of action. Over the summer, the 6'3" forward played in Beijing for Brazil. In Beijing, she averaged 3.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1 assist. She also shot 45% from the field. Again, Franciele is a project, but she's very athletically gifted and very versatile. She can go inside and out and is a solid defender and rebounder. Many Brazilians have made a jump to the WNBA and Franciele could be the next.
