The WKBL championship game between Woori Bank and KB last season is called the “best offset” in history. Woori reversed its objective outlook of inferiority and recorded 3-1 loss, winning the title for the second consecutive year by avenging the pain of losing the championship game two years ago.
Kim Dan-bi, who won the MVP of the back-to-back championship game, faced a change in the number of team members who led the championship together after the end of the season. “Rookie” met Kim Dan-bi, who now has another goal as a veteran player of Woori Bank who needs to conceive of a new era.
It was fair to say that Kim achieved everything he could as a player in the 2022-2023 season. He became the MVP of the regular league for the first time in his life, and led his team to a unified championship. The MVP of the championship was also Kim’s.
Kim Dan-bi could have disturbed his mind entering the following season, but he did not. Despite the success of the previous season, he held his mindset again to change the question mark that some had sent.
“Even if I won the title and won the MVP, some people didn’t have the (Park) index to evaluate, and I felt like I didn’t acknowledge it because the members were so good. So I came here thinking that I want to make a season where Woori Bank is recognized.”
The start of the season has never been smooth. Yoo Seung-hee, who had joined the team without the oldest member Kim Jong Un, was out for the season after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture during the opening game. Coach Wi Sung-woo also said, “My mental health has collapsed.” Park Hye-jin, another member of the team, was also delayed in joining the team.
However, Woori has displayed impressive performance. Woori, which ended the first round with a sweep, has formed an absolute semi-final with KB and finished the regular season with 23 wins and 7 losses.
Kim Dan-bi, who was on the court longer than the previous season amid reduced available resources, averaged 18.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the regular season, playing as a one-two punch for his team that has firmly established itself along with Park Ji-hyun. His playing time increased by nearly four minutes on average compared to last season, but he was already steadily preparing for it, so there was no big problem.
“Since (Yoo) Seung-hee and (Park) Hye-jin are not here, I thought it would be really hard this season. I was at a loss to the point where I thought I should just aim to finish this season without anyone getting hurt.”
“We were also surprised as we played the regular league.” (Laughs) I also thought, ‘This is the power of Woori Bank,’ and I knew then that it was the power of this team to fill the seats without anyone.”
“It’s honestly a lie to say that I’m not tired. But I just recovered slowly, but I didn’t have much trouble running. I was very well prepared, so I was okay.”
“The main players were missing a lot and it was a tough regular season. There were some injured players in the middle, so I was satisfied with finishing second rather than a few wins and a few losses.”
Woori Bank, ranked second in the regular league, faced Samsung Life Insurance, ranked third in the playoffs. Many said it was dominant in terms of power, but it gave up the first game. The moment when the pain that had been held back by Samsung Life Insurance in the playoffs comes back to mind.
However, the same result was not repeated. Woori, which upped its pace from the second game, secured three wins and one loss to advance to the championship game. Coach Wi Sung-woo said, “The fierce playoff with Samsung Life Insurance contributed to our team.”
Kim Dan-bi, who recalled after the championship, “Samsung Life came out in his dream at the time,” looked back, saying, “I was very worried, but I was still happy to overcome it.”
“Woori Bank was often evaluated as weak in the playoffs against Samsung Life Insurance. I was worried a lot, but I tried not to show it. But as soon as I lost the first game, I thought, ‘Is this going to be a reality?’ and it was so hard. I think I was under all the stress at the time, but I was happy and fortunate that I was able to overcome it.”
“But I was fortunate to have a break before the championship game. If I had done it without a break, I don’t think I would have had good performance. Regardless of my win or loss, I think I had a good performance and had a fun championship game.”
It is true that KB, the champion of the regular league, was expected to have the upper hand in the championship game. Even Woori Bank players did not have high expectations for victory.
However, Wi was different. Wi emphasized the desire to win the team that needs to pursue an Upset, and Kim Dan-bi’s thoughts were also changed after hearing him.
When I opened the lid, it was a very tight series. Woori Bank, which was designated as an underdog, won the first game against the undefeated KB in Cheongju, and KB took the second game after a bloody battle.
It was not a one-sided aspect that many expected. Woori Bank players also gained confidence that they could win.
“In fact, there was a part where we were very determined to win, thinking that KB would win. I thought, ‘Let’s not lose more than 20 points’ and ‘Let’s not just play embarrassing games,’ but when I opened the lid, I thought it was worth a try. I was good with KB and lost, but after winning the first round, I gained confidence that ‘we can win, too.’ “
“I couldn’t beat KB in the regular league, and since they’re such a strong team, I thought a lot about playing like a championship game, but the coach always said he changed his mind and stressed that we have to go out to win games. That made me feel alert and shocked. So I remember changing my mind and going to the game.” 안전놀이터
In such a situation, Kim Dan-bi’s presence in the game was considerable. He defended the league’s best center Park Ji-soo inside, and he showed the team’s ace-like performance in attack. Park Ji-soo nevertheless played his role, but Woori Bank was able to not collapse because Kim Dan-bi held on.
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