Kim Sion, who was the oldest Korean player to participate in the triple jam, expressed his excitement for the newest addition to the team, Choi Seo-yeon.
Led by Kim, BNK finished in third place at the Shinhan Bank SOL 3X3 Triple Jam 2023, which was held at the Atrium Center on the first floor of Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul on the 24th and 25th. In the quarterfinals, the tournament champions lost to Toyota Antelopes. BNK won the third place prize of KRW 1.5 million.안전놀이터
WKBL teams mostly send their youngest players to the triple jam. Kang Yoo-rim (Samsung Life, ’97) and Na Yoon-jung (Woori Bank, ’98) alone are said to be too veteran to compete in the Triple Jam. In this situation, Kim Sion, born in 1995, was the youngest WKBL player to participate in the tournament.
“My initial goal was to make it to the main draw. I didn’t expect to make it to the quarterfinals, but all the players did a great job and we got a good result,” she said after the tournament.
“Through this tournament, all the players were able to feel what they lacked once more, so we can go back to Busan and focus on making up for it and prepare for the season,” said Kim Sion, who was all smiles after the event.
“I wish we could have made it to the final because we came to the tournament, but the Japanese team we faced in the quarterfinals was too strong. We tried our best, but our opponents were better, so we’re disappointed, but we’re happy with our third place finish.”
On the tournament being held in a large shopping mall, he said, “There were a lot of people walking by and the courts were set up, but I think we didn’t pay attention to that and just focused on the game. It was a good experience and fun.”
The triple jam also marked the first official appearance of BNK’s newest member, Choi Seo-yeon, in her new uniform. Choi came into her own, scoring a lot of points and actively participating in rebounding, which made her stand out.
However, Kim emphasized that she still has more to offer.
“I think she could have done a little bit better,” Kim laughed when asked if Choi did better than she thought. “I have to focus on what I’m doing, so I’m not in a position to worry about other players, but I think Seo-yeon can do better than what she showed in the triple jam, and I think she has a lot more ability. I think she’ll be a great addition to the team.”