The beginning was rough. However, the rough start made ‘growth’. After growing up, I faced the position of ‘normal’. And I’m running towards a higher place. It was a weak beginning, but we are dreaming of a great end. This is the story of Cheongju KB Stars Yeom Yoon-ah.
A rough start
Kim Jong-un (currently Asan Woori Bank), Lee Kyung-eun (currently Incheon Shinhan Bank), and Yeom Yun-ah. All three players have something in common. The point is that he was selected for the 2006 WKBL Freshman Selection. She also played for the South Korea women’s national basketball team.
However, unlike Kim Jong-un and Lee Kyung-eun, who drew attention from the beginning of her debut, Yeom Yoon-ah was traded right after the draft. It wasn’t until her 4th season (2007-2008) that she stepped on her coat. She also took a break from her professional career. And she struggled to return to her professional career. Yuna Yeom’s beginning was quite rough.
She was called up to the Kumho Life Insurance Red Wings (now Busan BNK Some) as she was ranked 5th in the 2nd round (11th overall) at the 2006 WKBL Freshman Selection.
She was picked far behind than expected, and her heart was already broken (laughs), but as soon as she was picked, she was traded to Woori Bank. It was a team known for having strong discipline and difficult training, so I was very worried. I think the anxiety was much greater than the feeling of being happy.
However, her debut season was the 2007-2008 season. She made her debut later than her peers.
I think it probably went into garbage time. She was crazy, and I think she did it without thinking. It was a blank slate. I don’t remember the details, but I think I also ate Woohwangcheongsimhwan. (Laughs)
From the 2009-2010 season, I played for Shinsegae Coolcat, the predecessor of Bucheon HanawonQ.
I ended my career as a player at Woori Bank. It was hard both physically and mentally. I played for a year on the unemployment team (belonging to Donga Department Store).
Then, the desire to play professionally came back. I went to Shinsegae for a test and played a practice game with Suwon University. And I joined Shinsegae.
Daegi maturity (大器晩成) Just as
a large bowl is made late, a large person also requires a lot of effort and a long time. It is often referred to as ‘expected maturity’.
The same goes for athletes. Despite having potential and potential for development, there are many people who belatedly appeal to themselves. This is because complex factors are necessary for the growth of athletes.
It was the same with Yeom Yoon-ah. It wasn’t until he turned 28 that he became the team’s main resource. It was only then that she prepared her own weapon as well. Thanks to her sure weapon, the time to make her presence known is quicker.
Since the 2015-2016 season, she has been reborn as a mainstay of the team. What was the difference from before?
(Yoona Yeom played 35 games, all regular league games in the 2015-2016 season. The average playing time was 24 minutes and 58 seconds, and she recorded 5.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists)
. , I think I did a little bit of that. However, coach Park Jong-cheon planted the color of ‘defender’ in me. Also, since the guard resource was injured, I think I saw a lot of guards as well. So I think he ran a lot more than before.
What specific plan did director Park Jong-cheon suggest?
He said, “Try to stop the opponent with a life-and-death plan.” For example, he motivated me by saying, “If you stop Yeon-ha Byun, who is worth 300 million won, you too can become a player with 300 million won.”
V1+V2
KB Stars won the first combined championship in the 2018-2019 season. Yeom Yoon-ah also experienced his first combined victory in his debut season in the first season of transfer. Since it was the first joy enjoyed by both KB Stars and Yeom Yoon-ah, the combined victory came closer.
However, both KB Stars and Yeom Yoon-ah went through ups and downs. KB Stars, which was evaluated as a candidate for the championship, showed poor performance by 2% for two consecutive seasons from the 2019-2020 season. Yeom Yoon-ah also couldn’t get out of the swamp of injury. V2 seemed to be a distant goal for both KB Stars and Yum Yuna.
However, it did not take long to achieve the goal. Both KB Stars and Yum Yuna achieved V2 in the 2021-2022 season. The performance of KB Stars looked more intense as it also won the Park Shin-ja Cup, which was held before the start of the 2021-2022 season. Yuna Yeom also thought of V2 differently.
From the first season of the transfer, we recorded a combined win. I remember it as a season in which Yeom Yoon-ah’s contribution was also high.
(Yunah Yeom played 35 games, all of the regular league games in the 2018-2019 season, and played an average of 35 minutes and 9 seconds, a career high. The average record also peaked at 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals) Nothing has
changed for me. . I did what I was doing, such as defense or dirty work. But that was the play that KB Stars wanted, and I think it was the play that KB Stars was thirsty for. Also, all the players knew their roles well, and Kyla Thornton also showed a good harmony with (Park) Jisoo. I think that’s why a harmonious karate movement came out. That led to V1.
However, from the 2019-2020 season, it showed poor performance for two seasons.
I guess I didn’t settle down. I should have developed a little more, but I played the 2019-2020 season just like I did in the 2018-2019 season. That’s why everyone couldn’t do what they were good at, and I think they showed a stiff performance.
In particular, I was holding a burden in the 2020-2021 season. (WKBL removed the foreign player system from the 2020-2021 season, and KB Stars, which has Park Ji-soo, became an overwhelming candidate for the championship)
. I felt sorry for Jisoo. And just looking at Jisoo, it seems like everyone was playing standing up. It was to the point where I thought our game was not fun. Even the runners wouldn’t have enjoyed it.
In the 2021-2022 season, we achieved v2. Yuna Yeom’s contribution was not the same as before, but KB Stars had a perfect season.
(Yunah Yeom played 16 regular league games in the 2021-2022 season, and played an average of 26 minutes and 41 seconds. However, KB Stars won the Park Shin-Ja Cup-regular league-playoffs all)
I don’t think I was very different. I think I did my part for as long as I played. But like you said, I think it was lacking more than before. Right after the 2018-2019 season, I continued to lag because of injuries.
But it was good because we all won together. It was a season in which not only Jisoo but also bench players played a lot. Even if I didn’t do well, I felt really good. Jisoo has grown, and I can feel the positive changes in the team. 메이저사이트
At first, it was difficult to block only good players. However, since I keep following only the good players, I think I have developed my own know-how. I also learned about movement and movement.
This may be a non-flowing question, but out of all the players you blocked, who was the most difficult?
(Lim) Young-hee unnie (current coach at Asan Woori Bank). He’s tall, and he’s accurate with both his threes and mid-range jumpers. The action of pushing and pushing in an instant was also fast. Also, the screen was used well. Besides, Woori Bank is a team that plays a lot of screens and bets accurately, so I think it was more difficult to block Younghee unnie.
Although he was reborn as the main pillar of the team, his team did not make it to the playoffs. I think you must have been in a lot of pain.
At that time, I really did my best. I did everything I could to the point where I didn’t feel regretful. It was to the point where I wondered, ‘I can’t win despite working so hard?’ I think it was probably because there was no clear ace. There was (Kang) Seul Lee, but I was young at the time.
After the 2017~2018 season, you transferred to KB Stars. I think the poor team performance is a big reason.
Yes. I kept losing at Hana 1 Q. I wanted to be on a winning team. I think that’s why I chose KB Stars. KB Stars was a team that could produce results. There is the best big man named Park Ji-soo, and there were many other conditions to achieve good results. In fact, the result of ‘winning’ came out.
I transferred with a large salary. I think it must have been a lot of pressure.
(Yeom Yoon-ah signed a contract with KB Stars under the condition of a contract period of 3 years and a total annual salary of 250 million won for 2018-2019)
I did n’t want it from the beginning. As a result, I think the price went up. Looking at the conditions alone, it was a burden. It was good though. Because it’s better to win than to lose every day (laughs).
A season without Park Ji-soo? A season to look forward to!
Shinhan Bank and Woori Bank are teams that have won 6 consecutive wins in WKBL. Both teams have experience building dynasties. Their heyday was so intense.
KB Stars challenges the strength of the two teams. The grounds are sufficient. This is because Park Ji-soo and Kang I-seul, the best one-two punchers in the league, have a thick layer of players by position, such as Yeom Yun-ah, Choi Hee-jin, Sim Seong-young, Kim So-dam, Kim Min-jung, and Heo Ye-eun. The coaching staff and players are also dreaming of achieving more than a ‘six consecutive wins’.
But bad news happened. This is because Park Ji-soo, the pillar of the team and the best player in the league, left early August due to panic disorder. Since we do not know exactly when to return, the anxiety that KB Stars will feel is greater. Both the coaching staff and the players consider Park Ji-soo to be an incompetent player.
The captain, Yuna Yeom, should hold the center. Players must be brought together. Actually doing that. This is because he knows better than anyone the crisis facing the team. But there was no shaking. Rather, I was looking forward to the upcoming season.
KB Stars is a team that can be reborn as a dynasty. However, Park Ji-soo suddenly left.
I don’t know when the index will come back. You have to practice solving without an exponent. We have to prepare ourselves. I feel like I’ve been put to the test. But I’m looking forward to what kind of game it will be. I think we will know what kind of performance we will show when we start the season.
As a captain, you have a lot to do.
As captain, I am working hard so that the players do not scatter. And to bridge the distance between the coaching staff and the players, you have to play a good middle role. To do that, I think we need to quickly instill in the players what the coach wants.
I think it’s a claim that juniors follow very well.
Of course, senior-junior relationships are important in sports. But when I feel like I’m between an older sister and a younger sister, I think we can talk comfortably with each other. Of course, you will feel a certain distance, but I don’t think it’s a big distance. However, if there is an action that interferes with the workout atmosphere, I have to speak up strongly.
Park Ji-soo’s absence is a big blow to KB Stars. However, a strong team should be able to overcome such adverse conditions.
That’s right. In order for us to become a strong team without Jisoo, we must be most faithful to our basic skills. In particular, the rebound that Jisoo gave is the most important. In the past, if they believed in Jisoo and were not active in rebounding, now everyone actively runs into loose balls. Defense is also an important factor.
What are your goals for this season?
(Laughs)
Don’t you have the desire to establish a dynasty like Shinhan Bank or Woori Bank?
I would like that to come out, but I don’t think it’s something to think about from now on. Also, I can’t tell you right now that you can do that. However, I think that if you do the basic things steadily, good results will come out.
What do you want to achieve with the rest of your basketball career?
Before joining KB Stars, I had never had surgery. But after he came to KB Stars, he underwent 3 surgeries (finger – back of hand – ankle). Of course, I am happy to have won two championships (laughs), but I want to exercise without surgery from now on. I hope he retires injury-free.