Fujitsu RedWave point guard Rui Machida, who was a member of Japan's silver-winning Tokyo Olympics women's basketball team, will join the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association, the Japanese team said Monday.
Machida will play in the W League, Japan's top women's basketball league, until the end of the season and move to the United States before the WNBA season opens in May. The 28-year-old will seek to become the fourth Japanese to get playing time in the WNBA, joining Mikiko Hagiwara, Yuko Oga and Ramu Tokashiki.
"I'm very happy for such a wonderful opportunity and I am looking forward to it. I'll do my best to show my playing style in the United States and contribute to the team," Machida said.
Mystics General Manager and Head Coach Mike Thibault described the signing as "very exciting" for the franchise and called Machida one of the most dynamic point guards in the world.
"She pushes the tempo offensively and creates great opportunities for her teammates both in transition and in the half court," he was quoted as saying on the team website.
"We can pair her with any of our guards to give us different looks with our lineups. Her teammates will love playing with her and our fans will love watching her play."
Standing at just 162 centimeters, Machida played a starring role for Japan at the Tokyo Games and was singled out for praise by many opponents. She dished out an Olympic single-game record 18 assists in Japan's semifinal victory over France.