Opening on the 27th… 5 month long journey begins
‘Girderposts’ Park Ji-soo and Park Ji-hyun take to the overseas stage
As many as 16 people transferred… Winning ‘unpredictable’
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women’s professional basketball (WKBL) court in the 2024-25 season. From the left, Jinan (Buchon Hana Bank), Kang I-seul (Cheongju KB), Kim Dan-bi (Asan Woori Bank), Kim Sonia (Busan BNK), Lee Hae-ran (Yongin Samsung Life Insurance), Shin Ji-hyun (Incheon Shinhan Bank). Half of them, including Jinan, Sonia Kim, and Jihyun Shin, are transfer students. Provided by WKBL”/> Representative players from each club who will heat up the women’s professional basketball (WKBL) court in the 2024-25 season. From the left, Jinan (Buchon Hana Bank), Kang I-seul (Cheongju KB), Kim Dan-bi (Asan Woori Bank), Kim Sonia (Busan BNK), Lee Hae-ran (Yongin Samsung Life Insurance), Shin Ji-hyun (Incheon Shinhan Bank). Half of them, including Jinan, Sonia Kim, and Jihyeon Shin, are transfer students.
Provided by WKBL
The 2024-25 Women’s Professional Basketball (WKBL) season, which is predicted to have an unprecedented competition for the championship, will begin a five-month long journey starting with the game between Bucheon Hana Bank and Cheongju KB on the 27th.
The new season is characterized by the fact that there is absolutely no strong player. The two-power system of Asan Woori Bank and KB, which dominated the court for many years, is disbanded. After the end of last season, Park Ji-soo, the guardian of KB, and Park Ji-hyun, the future of Woori Bank, left for overseas markets such as Turkye, Australia, and New Zealand, respectively. In particular, Woori Bank, which is attempting to win its 13th championship including 3 consecutive losses, has veteran Park Hye-jin moving to Busan BNK and Choi Lee-sam moving to Incheon Shinhan Bank. It has been drastically changed. The runner-up team, KB, also faces a difficult era called ‘post-Park Ji-soo’.
In addition to Park Hye-jin, Sonia Kim went from Shinhan Bank to BNK, and Jinan, who was guarding BNK’s goal, went to Hana Bank. Ji-Hyun Shin transferred from Hana Bank to BNK as a compensation player and was immediately traded to Shinhan Bank, causing a ‘mass movement’ in the WKBL sign. There are 16 transfers for the new season. Among the command towers, coach Ha Sang-yoon took on the new leadership of Yongin Samsung Life Insurance.
There is another element that will shake up the game. The Asian quota was introduced for the first time, allowing Japanese players to roam the WKBL stage. Shinhan Bank center Rika Tanimura (184cm), who has experience with the Japanese national team, is the player receiving the most attention. BNK forward Saki Iijima (173cm) is also said to have the best defensive ability in the league.
Among the head coaches of the six clubs who attended the opening media day held on the 21st, Samsung Life Insurance was selected as the leading candidate for the championship. Coaches Kim Do-wan, Hana Bank, Guna Dan, Shinhan Bank, and Park Jeong-eun, BNK, were wary of Samsung Life Insurance, saying that teamwork would be solid with minimal player changes. Samsung Life Insurance coach Ha Sang-yoon predicted BNK as a candidate for the championship, saying that two veterans were recruited and the backup members have grown. Woori Bank director Sungwoo Wi selected both Samsung Life Insurance and BNK. KB coach Kim Wan-soo said, “It is not easy to judge at the moment,” and “You will only know by looking at the performance and atmosphere at the beginning of the opening season.”
Reporter Hong Ji-min
2024-10-22 Page 32
