"Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul are expensive, but..." Everyone is eyeing them → Women's basketball FA acquisition war begins today (1st)

*This content was translated by AI.

The women's professional basketball free agent (FA) acquisition war has begun. With top players such as Park Ji-soo (28) and Kang Yi-seul (32, both of Cheongju KB) entering the FA market, many teams are positioning themselves to sign them.

The Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) announced on the 29th of last month that 10 players have been confirmed as FA targets for 2026. Among them, the most prominent names are undoubtedly Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul. These two league-representative players served as key members of their team this season, leading KB to its third consecutive overall championship.

Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul are second-round FA targets. Second-round FA targets are players who have exercised their first-round FA eligibility after their initial registration and whose contract period has ended. In addition to Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul, Yoon Ye-bin (Yongin Samsung Life), Kim Jin-young, and Lee Hye-mi (both of Incheon Shinhan Bank), Kim Ye-jin (Asan Woori Bank), and Kim Min-jeong (KB) are included among the second-round FA targets.

Starting immediately today (1st), the six WKBL teams will be busy moving to sign these players. FA negotiations will be conducted in three rounds. The first negotiation period runs from May 1st to 5 p.m. on the 10th. The second negotiation period will take place from the 11th to 5 p.m. on the 15th. Players who fail to sign a contract during the first and second negotiation periods will engage in third-round negotiations with their original team from the 16th to 5 p.m. on the 18th.

For second-round FA targets, negotiations can be held with all teams, including their original team and the other five teams, starting from the first negotiation period.

All teams' attention is focused on Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul. A representative of a team other than KB told StarNews, "We are reviewing the FA list," while adding, "Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul are all excellent players. They may be expensive, but we are looking into it," expressing their desire to sign them. The representative further emphasized, "We must strengthen the team well during the off-season to prepare for the next season."

A representative of another team also stated, "We will participate in the FA market." They added, "However, players are precious, and while all teams try to keep their players, other teams try to take them away, so it won't be easy," conveying the tense atmosphere.

Known as the "Treasure Center," Park Ji-soo could not play in the championship finals due to an ankle injury but fulfilled her role by winning the regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) award this season. She appeared in 24 regular season games, averaging 16.54 points and 10.1 rebounds.

Known as the "National Team Shooter," Kang Yi-seul also averaged 15.5 points in 29 regular season games. Notably, she recorded 69 three-point shots (with a 35.8% success rate), ranking first in the league in this category. In the championship finals, as a veteran, she filled the gap left by Park Ji-soo and brought the championship to her team. It appears important not only for other teams but also for KB to retain Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul to maintain their team's strength.

Meanwhile, there are also first-round FA targets exercising their FA rights for the first time since their professional debut. The three main figures are Jo Su-a (Samsung Life), Lee Yoon-mi, and Lee Chae-eun (both of KB). They will conduct priority negotiations with their original team during the first negotiation period, and if negotiations fail, they can negotiate with other teams during the second negotiation period.

If the FAs move to other teams, their original team can choose either one compensation player (in addition to protected players) or cash compensation.

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*This content was translated by AI.