'Goodbye to the Championship Legend': Bae Hye-yoon and Kim Dan-bi Retire Together... "Grateful for Every Moment"

*This content was translated by AI.

Two veteran players who won the championship together with Yongin Samsung Life Bluewings, Bae Hye-yoon (37) and Kim Dan-bi (34), are leaving the court they grew to love.

Samsung Life officially announced on the 29th that team symbol center Bae Hye-yoon and forward Kim Dan-bi have decided to retire from active play. After completing their long journey with the 2025-2026 Championship Finals as their final stop, the two players sent farewell messages to fans through the club.

Bae Hye-yoon began her professional career by joining Shinsegae (formerly Hana Bank) in the 2007-2008 season and has been a pillar of Samsung Life since the 2013-2014 season. From 2007-2008 to 2025-2026, she played for an incredible 19 seasons, appearing in at least 25 games every season. As an ironman, she left a historic record of 584 career regular-season games in the WKBL.

From winning the Rookie of the Year award in her debut season of 2007-2008 to being selected for the BEST 5 in 2022-2023 and 2024-2025, and receiving the Free Throw Award in 2025-2026, she maintained top-tier league performance right up until her retirement. Notably, despite being a center, she possessed exceptional passing sense, recording a triple-double in the 2023-2024 season. As team captain, she also led her team to lift the Championship Finals trophy in the 2020-2021 season.

Bae Hye-yoon, who announced her retirement, stated through the club, "It was truly an honor to play for Samsung Life. Thanks to Team Manager Im Geun-bae, Head Coach Ha Sang-yoon, the coaching staff, teammates, and fans who guided me, I was able to continue my playing career longer than planned. I am sincerely grateful for every moment."

Kim Dan-bi, who decided to retire alongside Bae, is also a key figure in Samsung Life's championship history. She joined Woori Bank as a trainee in the 2011-2012 season, where she wrote a history of human victory, and joined Samsung Life starting in the 2020-2021 season. In her first year with the club, during Game 5 of the 2020-2021 Championship Finals, she hit four three-pointers to secure the team's championship, displaying pure and decisive performances at every critical moment.

Kim Dan-bi said, "I have been happy playing basketball for 15 years. Although I couldn't end my career with a perfect finish, it is meaningful to be able to conclude my playing career on the Championship Finals stage. Every moment, even the difficult ones, was a precious time that I will never forget."

The Samsung Life club plans to hold a retirement ceremony for the two players who dedicated themselves to the team during a regular-season home game in the 2026-2027 season.

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*This content was translated by AI.