“There were many unexpected things”

Since taking the helm, Woori Bank has been a top-tier team, especially during its heyday from the 2012-2013 season to the 2017-2018 season. They won a total of six consecutive titles, the second most in WKBL history.

There were also ups and downs. In the 2018-2019 season, they failed to reach the championship game, and in the 2020-2021 season, they missed the championship game despite finishing first in the regular season. In the 2021-2022 season, they went 3-for-3 in the Championship. The downward spiral was clear.

However, Woori Bank made a big change after the 2021-2022 season. They let go of Kim Sonia (177 cm, F) and brought in Kim Dan-bi (180 cm, F), who was the biggest free agent signing. The team also had backup resources in Go Ara (179 cm, F) and Noh Hyun-ji (176 cm, F).

The national team lineup of Park Hye-jin (178 cm, G), Park Ji-hyun (183 cm, G), Kim Dan-bi, Choi Yi-sam (182 cm, F), and Kim Jeong-eun (180 cm, F) dominated the other five teams. Sure, fierce competitors Cheongju KB Stars and Yongin Samsung Life struggled with injuries, but Woori Bank was strong. They finished first in the regular season with 25 wins and 5 losses. It was a dominant performance.

It was no different in the postseason. In the playoffs, they swept Incheon Shinhan Bank in two games, and in the championship game, they took down Busan BNK Thumb in three games. They won the overall title for the first time in five years after the 2017-2018 season.

Woori Bank has proven to be a strong team, but its popularity among players is still not high. This is because the team’s strong coaching style makes it difficult for the players. Especially, the new players in the team are worried about the above-mentioned factors.

Yoo Seung-hee, who joined Woori from Shinhan Bank, said, “I only saw him on the field. I never had a chance to talk to him, only heard that he was scary. But when I came, he talked a lot with the players and joked a lot. It was unexpected,” he said of his first impression of the coach.

Lee Myung-kwan, who was traded from Samsung Life to Woori Bank, said, “I unpacked my luggage (at the Woori Bank training center) and immediately said hello to the coach. He said, ‘This is the first time we’ve met and talked,’ and I thought the same thing. I had a scary image of him, but as I got to know him, he became more and more like a father. He’s very close with the other players, like a family,” said Yoo Seung-hee, echoing similar sentiments.

Woori Bank also boasts a strong training intensity. Although it has decreased from the past, the tension between physical training and tactical training is quite high. The newcomers to Woori Bank must be able to withstand this.

However, as Yoo Seung-hee explains, “Ever since I joined the pros, Woori Bank has been a strong team. They are a team that focuses only on practice and games, so I thought the atmosphere would be heavy. However, the players come to training with a cheerful attitude and get along well with the manager and coach. That was unexpected,” he said, adding that he found an unexpected element in the Woori team.

Lee Myung-kwan also said, “For other teams, you can watch videos on YouTube. But in the case of Woori Bank, there was no YouTube channel, and I didn’t know anyone,” he said.메이저사이트

“From the outside, Woori Bank was a serious and cool team. Now that I’m inside, it’s the same. The only thing I can add to that is that everyone on the team feels like family. I was worried that I would have a hard time adjusting, but that was just a worry. (Laughs) It was so nice to be welcomed by everyone.”

It was different from what I thought and what I heard from the outside world. The team members were close, and the coaching staff and players were close. Yoo Seung-hee and Lee Myung-kwan, who were worried about their new team, will be able to integrate more easily. However, they felt that they needed to focus more on their roles in the new team. This was also the opinion of the two players.