‘Body’ Park Ji-soo joins… Shaking the WKBL game, KB Stars’ strong rebound

Cheongju KB Stars, who won the regular league-championship match last season, struggled in the ‘Shinhan Bank SOL 2022-2023 Women’s Professional Basketball’. Park Ji-soo (24, 193 cm) of the National Treasure Center only recorded 2 wins and 11 losses in 13 games that he left for treatment of panic disorder. KB Stars coach Kim Wan-soo devised various tactics to minimize Park Ji-soo’s vacancy, but the vacancy of the pillar center, which guaranteed a double-double, was much larger than expected. As Park Ji-soo’s vacancy was highlighted, other players’ stress also increased. To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), it became difficult to build normal power, and it fell into a trap.

I put my hopes on Park Ji-soo’s joining and endured, but I couldn’t guarantee the timing. Negative (-) piled up in the margin of victory and defeat. Even the shooter, Kang Iseul, suffered from the opponent’s concentration check, and the scoring route was greatly reduced. It was truly a ‘total mess’.

However, a surprising turn of events has begun. On the 17th, Park Ji-soo played for the first time this season in an away game against Bucheon Hana 1Q. He only scored 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocked shots in 7 minutes and 58 seconds, but Park Ji-soo proved that he could play healthy. Two days later, on the 19th, in a home game against Incheon Shinhan Bank, he played 18 minutes and 25 seconds, scoring 19 points and 7 rebounds. He showed off his skills down to the ‘National Treasure Center’ by firmly guarding the bottom of the goal and even trying to break through depending on the situation.

The most important fact is that KB Stars won all 2 games since Park Ji-soo’s return. While the opponent’s defense was focused on Park Ji-soo, the effect of opening opportunities for Kang I-seul and Kim Min-jung was also confirmed. The fact that the members who led the combined championship last season came together again is the reason why KB Stars’ rebound is strong. It is all the more so because Park Ji-soo has calmed down the concerns caused by the deterioration of the sense of practice. 토토

The existence of a strong center is an element that can exert power in short-term battles. If KB Stars advances to the playoffs (PO), the burden on the other teams will inevitably increase. The repercussions that Park Ji-soo’s return will bring to the women’s professional basketball game in the future may literally be ‘unpredictable’.