*This content was translated by AI.
The team and himself had a difficult first half, but they played in the All-Star Game with the love of the fans. Kang Yoo-rim (29, Yongin Samsung Life Bloomings) showed a bright smile for the first time in a long time.
Kang Yoo-rim played as a member of Team Unile (coach Lee Sang-beom, coach Wi Sung-woo and Ha Sang-yoon) in the BNK Financial Group 2025-2026 Women's Professional Basketball All-Star Game held at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan on the 4th.
As a result of the All-Star vote announced on the 18th of last month, Kang Yoo-rim won a total of 8,334 votes, ranking 17th, and joining the All-Star Game, which can reach 20th place. It is the second time he has been selected as an All-Star since joining the professional league and three years after the 2022-23 season.
Kang Yoo-rim, who met Star News, smiled, saying, "I was very awkward and nervous because it was my first All-Star in the 2022-23 season, but now I have a lot of faces I know and I'm comfortable." During those three years, Kang Yu-rim was also selected for the national team and was able to interact with several players.
Kang Yu-rim said, "At first, I was embarrassed, but now I know everyone, so I'm comfortable." In particular, such unibles included Lee Hae-ran, a colleague of Samsung Life Insurance, Jihyun Shin (Shinhan Bank), and Lee So-hee (BNK), a fellow member of the national team, who shared a meal during Hana OneQ in the past.
At the All-Star Game three years ago, Kang Yu-rim showed high-quality dance skills with her appearance, but she couldn't stand the shame and came down. He said, "This time, it's not a dance, it's a dance level, so I think I'll move on easily," and he showed this year's "Ira Challenge" with a smile on his gums. However, regarding the performance during the game, he confessed, "Actually, I think it will be too hard because it is really (MBTI) Power I."
Kang Yu-rim averaged 34 minutes and 6 seconds in 13 games before the All-Star break, scoring 9.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Kang Yoo-rim is struggling with the retirement of scorer Kiana Smith and the injuries of big man Bae Hye-yoon and guard Lee Ju-yeon.
Kang Yu-rim, who looked back on the first half, said, "It was a difficult time for the team and myself. Still, I don't think the finish was bad, so it's a short break, but I'll supplement it and play a better game," he said.
Three-point shooting is a concern. Kang Yoo-rim, who was a big man in college and turned professional into a shooter, showed a 36.7% success rate in 3-point shooting in the 2022-23 season, but decreased to 20.9% the following year. Last year, it rose back to 31.5% thanks to a rebound in the second half, but this season it fell back to 20% (65 cities, 13 successes).
Samsung Life Insurance coach Ha Sang-yoon also said, "Yurim is good with everything else, but the 3-point shooting success rate is disappointing. I asked the players to make a no-mark situation with a quick transition," he said. Kang Yoo-rim himself said, "I think it didn't work out because I thought I had to do well from the beginning. So I'm trying to put it down," he said.
Still, Kang Yu-rim is contributing from the other side. He achieved a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds against Shinhan Bank on the 29th of last month, the last game of the first half. This was the first time Kang Yoo-rim won a double-digit rebound. He said, "I think I did it more actively because there is no (Bae) Hye-yoon and everyone has to take responsibility for each other."
Samsung Life Insurance finished fifth in the first half due to a series of injuries. However, with 6-7 losses and a winning rate of 0.462, it was only 0.5 games behind Woori Bank, which is ranked fourth. It's not the stage to give up the season at all yet. Kang Yoo-rim said, "There have been some games that we've lost before, so I don't think we should miss those games in the second half." "One or two sick players came out during the start of the season, and I can't wait to return healthy and do it together in the second half," he said.
Kang Yu-rim herself is a "Geumgang Bulbulgo." From the 2020-21 season, he has been playing without missing a single game for 163 games. He said, "Fortunately, there are no injuries yet," but added, "The player doesn't know when he will get hurt. That's why you should always be careful. I can't be careful of my body in the game, but I'm paying attention to it with my head," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
