Kookmin Bank ranked first in the regular season league last season. However, Park Ji-soo, the core player of Kookmin Bank, fell out due to challenges in overseas competitions, and Kookmin Bank became an underdog in a year. Kookmin Bank coach Kim Wan-soo, who is running for the challenge again, cites competition and unity as his keywords for the season.
Kookmin Bank topped the list by a landslide last season. It confirmed its regular league title early on. Although it lost to Woori in the championship game, it still showed off its competitive edge with Park Ji-soo at the center. However, with Park Ji-soo absent, it will prepare for the 2024-2025 season. "I respect Park's choice. I hope she will come back with further improvement without getting hurt," coach Kim said. "That will help Korean women's basketball performance, and younger players will be able to be as courageous as Ji-soo in the future."
With Park Ji-soo's departure, Kookmin Bank has fallen to the last place in a year. "I was also told that Kookmin Bank is the last place candidate. But I think there are always opportunities. I am emphasizing trust and unity among offseason players," Kim said. "I talked about 'Apollosyndrom (a phenomenon in which performance is rather low in a group of talented players). No matter how good all the players are, they cannot do well if they give different opinions. The most important thing is for the players to become one," he said.
With Kim's motivation, the players are also gearing up in a good mood. "It's completely different when there's an index and when there's no index," Kim said. "It's not just one player, but all players should be at the center. The players are well aware of it. The atmosphere of the training has become even better," he said. "Captain Yeom Yoon-ah (37) is leading and drawing players even at the age of late 30s. Despite Ko Hyun-ji's great age difference, he is fully engaged in the training together."
Kang and Na Yoon-jung, who joined as free agents, and Heo Ye-eun, who is growing up, are also drawing keen attention. "(Kang) Lee-seul will take more responsibility as a veteran. When Ji-soo was not able to run two years ago, Lee Seul-yi had a hard time running under a lot of pressure. I don't want her to carry a lot of burdens on her own. You can give her a shot with a shooter when it's important," Kim said. "Na Yoon-jeong is a mood maker. She is playing a good role in the middle of the team. She is said to be weak in defense, but she will be able to use it well in matches. Heo Ye-eun has also improved to a certain extent. She says she will be tired without Park Ji-soo, but she will rather play better as a guard by playing more diverse plays."
The core of Kookmin Bank's basketball without Park Ji-soo is speed and defense. "The center is practically only one (Kim) Sodam," Kim said. "We may have to play as a small lineup. We need to speed up and strengthen our defense to win the game. There is no alternative. This is why we want to take a long time for off-season players to build their bodies." 토토사이트 추천
"Japan players in the Asian quarter will join the team as early as late this month, and all the players will be in competition," said Kim, who has become the coach of Underdog from behind. "Externally, players who prepare hard and are good will play," Kim said. "Externally, the team is considered the last-place contender, but we need to open the lid to learn more. We should not be swayed by players." It is different when players are united. Losing matches may increase more than before. However, if we do our best, we can do our best." "This is an opportunity for both players and myself to become stronger," Kim said, renewing his strong commitment.