Park Hye-jin, who kept her promise to ‘end with a smile’, achieved her 8th win at home
Park Hye-jin wanted to wrap up with a smile until the end. He kept his promise with her.
Asan Woori Bank won 78-72 in the fourth round of Woori Bank’s WON 2023-24 women’s professional basketball championship game against Cheongju KB Stars at Yi Sun-shin Gymnasium in Asan on the 30th, achieving its 12th career victory.
“Dochi” Park Hye-jin was a big contributor. She had to go through a lot of difficulties throughout the season, but she finally regained her old best at the last minute.
Park Hye-jin played all 40 minutes, scoring 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal. She completely erased Kang Yi-seul, and played her part in the attack. She especially hit three 3-pointers, all of which were huge successes at key moments.
After winning the championship, Park Hye-jin said, “I couldn’t start the season together. So I hoped to end it with a smile at the end, but I feel really good to end it with a smile like this. I would like to thank (Coach Woo Sung-woo) and all the coaches.”
He continued, “I don’t think they expected us to be favourites. Nevertheless, I honestly can’t believe it when I realize I’ve won. It’s such an incredible win. I think this win is going to have a lasting impact.”
KB Stars’ pursuit was fierce and allowed him to make a comeback in the second half. However, Woori Bank was reassured because Park Hye-jin, who hit the big gun in every difficult time.
Park Hye-jin’s first 3-pointer came in the third quarter. 37-39, when the momentum of the chase was good, a picturesque 3-pointer made it 40-39. The other two 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter. Woori Bank was shaken by KB Stars’ last-minute power, but Park Hye-jin’s 3-pointer pushed the score back up to 60-60. And the final 3-pointer beat KB Stars’ willingness to chase 70-66 with a big shot that ended the seesaw game.
Park Hye-jin said, “I had a chance in the first half, but I didn’t throw well. I didn’t feel like I was shooting, so at first I thought I should do something else rather than push myself.” “That’s how the flow came, and (Park) Ji-hyun’s pass came at the right time at the end, so the throw went well,” she said with a smile.
The Woori Bank kingdom was situated in the satellite system. Park Hye-jin was the ace player at the center. She led her team to six consecutive wins from the 2012-13 season to the 2017-18 season. She has never won at home, however. In the 2022-23 season, she won in Busan, not Asan.
Park Hye-jin said, “I feel blessed to win at home. When I entered the championship game as the No. 1 player in the regular league, all the championships were gone. I am even more happy because it seems like it is my first time to win a championship with my home fans. Park Hye-jin said, “So even if I win, I didn’t want to go to the fifth round.”