The basketball stadium houses three standard basketball courts connected together. This is the training ground for the Qingbei team.
Running 10 laps at full speed and 20 laps at a slow pace is a fixed daily training program.
The 27 female basketball team members, divided into two rows, sweated profusely, displaying heroic spirit and becoming a beautiful sight.
During a break from morning training, Lu Yu got to know the new players one by one, and also met the talented small forward: Sun Meng.
If Lu Yu is a mature and sophisticated woman, then Sun Meng is even more so. She speaks very little, focuses solely on playing basketball, and ignores everything else.
The current starting lineup for the Qingbei team is: center Yang Lingling, 201cm tall; power forward Shu Juan, 192cm tall; small forward Sun Meng, 187cm tall; shooting guard Lu Xuping, 176cm tall; and point guard Wang Jie, 177cm tall.
As a center, Yang Lingling is adept at rebounding.
Power forward Shu Juan has a strong ability to score while moving around the court.
Shooting guard Lu Xuping is best known for her long-range standing shots, with an exceptionally high accuracy rate.
Wang Jie has good defensive skills, but as a point guard who orchestrates the offense throughout the game, she is not yet able to control the entire court, and her teamwork is always a bit lacking.
Sun Meng, a talented small forward, plays a well-rounded game on both offense and defense. She is highly mobile and is the only player on the Qingbei women's basketball team who can perform a second layup.
Currently, the entire team revolves around Sun Meng, adjusting their tactics and teamwork accordingly.
As the saying goes, to play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses, in order to further enhance the offensive strength in the three-second zone, the "dream step" and "Euro step" and other dribbling footwork are skills that the whole team needs to master.
Today's main training content was the "Dream Shake" dribbling technique and the step-back mid-range shot. The key to the Dream Shake is a stable center of gravity and quick body rotation.
Lu Yu practiced the turning and pulling back motion of the basketball over and over again, repeating each shooting feint, searching for the best shooting feel.
During the one-on-one offensive and defensive practice, Wang Jie deliberately made things difficult by standing directly opposite Lu Yu.
Sun Meng, who had been practicing calmly, also stopped and looked over. She was willing to spare some attention as to whether the name "Swimming Fish" was truly fitting.
Lu Yu initiated the attack with the ball, taking a step back with his left foot. Wang Jie remained highly focused, displaying excellent defensive skills and keeping a close watch on him.
Lu Yu felt considerable pressure. He accelerated and then stopped abruptly, shifting his weight to his right foot and gently raising the ball to the right with both hands. Wang Jie subconsciously followed suit with small movements of her hands.
Lu Yu gathered the ball back to his chest, then dribbled to the right and drove to shoot.
Wang Jie reacted extremely quickly, raising both hands to block the shot's path.
Now!
Lu Yu didn't shift his weight on his right foot, but quickly extended his left foot, coordinating his body and turning slightly with his footwork to lay up with his left hand.
Wang Jie adjusted her steps and hands again, but she was still a step too late. The basketball swished cleanly into the basket.
Offense and defense switch.
Wang Jie dribbled the ball and accelerated, with Lu Yu close behind.
Wang Jie made several fake shooting moves, but unfortunately Lu Yu's defense was too watertight, and she was stopped every time.
Lu Yu has the ability to read minds, so feints aren't very effective against her. The key is the jumping ability at the moment of shooting; only by having explosive power that overwhelms Lu Yu can you possibly break through the defense.
Unfortunately, Wang Jie, as a point guard, doesn't have that kind of explosive power.
Wang Jie exited the three-second zone, and Lu Yu got close.
Wang Jie quickly retreated, dribbled behind her back, and tried to break through the defense. However, her hands were empty, and Lu Yu seized the opportunity to intercept the ball.
Lu Yu sprinted to the three-second zone, stopped abruptly, and shot—a perfect basket.
Wang Jie was so angry that smoke was practically billowing from her nostrils, and Lu Yu was quite pleased with her outburst.
Why can she always make perfect predictions?! What makes Lu Yu so special? Does she suddenly have energy after just one vacation?!
Lu Yu ignored the boring woman and walked to the rest area outside the basketball court sideline. He slowly moved his wrists and ankles, and after his breathing calmed down, he drank two mouthfuls of water.
Throughout the entire process, Sun Meng simply watched from the sidelines without uttering a single word.
The half-empty bottle of water was gone in two gulps. As Lu Yu threw the empty water bottle into the trash can, two bottles of water appeared in front of her at almost the same time.
Lu Yu looked up and saw Chu Feiyu and Sun Meng. Sun Meng only glanced at her and didn't say anything, withdrawing the hand that was handing her water, as if to say, "I don't even care to give you water."
Lu Yu and Chu Feiyu stood there, stunned, watching Sun Meng's figure gradually disappear into the distance.
Lu Yu had never heard Sun Meng speak before; the girl was like a little mute, and he had only ever heard her say "Here!" when counting off. But now, the voice in his mind was very clear.
[How embarrassing! I did something awkward again today.]
Lu Yu was overjoyed; even a talented young player can be adorable. Lu Yu's expression remained largely unchanged as she accepted the water Chu Feiyu offered and softly thanked her.
Chu Feiyu's position is shooting guard, and she's clearly a substitute player. She's young, only recently joined the team, and was in the same batch as Sun Meng. She's always held a romantic view of Lu Yu.
Lu Yu's most glorious period coincided with Chu Feiyu's arduous journey in the youth training team, making Lu Yu an idol in her eyes.
The gossip all morning revolved around Lu Yu. Lu Yu remained calm, but Chu Feiyu, worried about her idol's mental state, mustered her courage and took the initiative to approach him.
"Senior Lu, my name is Chu Feiyu. I'm a new team member. Please take good care of me in the future."
"Don't call me that. I'm only 23. You suddenly make me sound so old. How old are you?"
"I'm 20 years old," Chu Feiyu replied obediently.
Lu Yu was used to being efficient in her speech and actions. "Then I'll call you Fei Yu, and you can just call me Lu Yu. We're teammates."
Chu Feiyu was surprised that the seemingly cold-faced expert was actually quite approachable in private. "Sister Xiaoyu, your voice is very nice. You should talk more often."
Lu Yu sighed inwardly. She heard so many unspoken thoughts every day, so many people cursing her in their hearts. If she really spoke more, she would definitely lash out. For now, she was quite patient, managing to remain silent and maintain a facade of peace.
Lu Yu ignored the other party's persistent use of the term "Little Yu Sister," exchanged a few pleasantries, and then walked back to the training ground with Chu Feiyu to continue their training.
After a day of training, Lu Yu had a little tagalong. Chu Feiyu had been having trouble with her step-back mid-range shot, so Lu Yu patiently taught her some tricks.
In reality, when it comes to basketball footwork or shooting techniques, there are only so many variations; the basic principles remain the same. However, on the court, you have to deal with the ever-changing situation. No one will wait for you to complete a set of moves before you score.
Therefore, finding the right shooting form and feel in changing movements requires everyone to explore on their own. Some of the little tricks can occasionally unlock your potential.
"Yes, don't be stiff in your movements, and don't imagine a sudden stop and retreat in your mind."
"Don't waste time with overly obvious feints."
"The wrist should follow the force of the body's backward movement, and should not be made into a separate movement."
"You need to think about scoring, not about completing a predetermined action."
"Speeding up is for shooting. It's because the opponent's defense is tight that you step back and shoot. So don't stop moving and don't give the opponent a chance to catch up with you."
Lu Yu's guidance never stopped, and Chu Feiyu's admiration was evident.
Training has ended. Xiao Zhong, the driver sent by Jiao Yuyin, is already waiting at the entrance of the training base.
When Lu Yu returned to Lixiang Villa, before she could even share her happy victory, she was stopped by Jiao Yuyin's wedding date.
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