[Interview] 'Woori Bank Ace' Kim Dan-bi's Sincere Words: "Thank you, Kang Yi-seul. I will play with the mindset of a newcomer."

*This content was translated by AI.

The voice of Asan Woori Bank's ace, Kim Dan-bi (36), was filled with anticipation. She will be playing alongside next season's 'top shooter,' Kang Yi-seul (32).

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 12th, Kim Dan-bi said, "I am grateful that Kang Yi-seul made a big decision. We have gained a tremendous support force."

Earlier, on the 8th, Woori Bank officially announced the signing of free agent Kang Yi-seul with a four-year contract worth a total of 420 million won. Kang Yi-seul, considered a top-tier player in the league, was evaluated as the biggest prize of this FA market alongside Cheongju KB's Park Ji-soo. While Park Ji-soo's destination remains undecided, Kang Yi-seul chose to transfer, leaving KB to start anew at Woori Bank.

At the time of the signing, the new Woori Bank head coach, Jeon Ju-won, told StarNews, "It was about sincerity. It seems Kang Yi-seul understood our team's urgent desire. When we met, I explained our team's strengths and situation well. Kang Yi-seul made a good judgment." He added, "I told her thank you on the day she signed."

Kim Dan-bi shared the same sentiment. He said, "We had many conversations with Kang Yi-seul. I told her that it's not about her helping me, but that I want to take on the role of supporting her now. Rather than handing over my position to someone else, I thought it was time for me to move to a position where I can help someone. We talked a lot about this, and it seems Kang Yi-seul understood well."

With Kang Yi-seul's arrival, Woori Bank has built a powerful one-two punch of 'Kim Dan-bi and Kang Yi-seul.' Kim Dan-bi possesses various weapons, not only scoring but also creating chances for teammates. Kang Yi-seul is a shooter who can score anytime and anywhere. Head Coach Jeon Ju-won expressed his joy, saying, "We now have various options."

Kang Yi-seul entered the professional league as the number one overall pick in the 2012 rookie draft. After playing for Bucheon Hana Woori (now Bucheon Hana Bank), she transferred to KB in 2021. In her first season with KB, the 2021-2022 season, she contributed to the team's second consecutive championship in history.

Even in this season when KB secured its third consecutive championship in history, Kang Yi-seul delivered outstanding performances. In 29 regular-season games, she averaged 15.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. She made 69 three-pointers, the most in the league, with a three-point shooting percentage of 35.8%. Especially during the spring playoffs, when Park Ji-soo was absent due to injury, Kang Yi-seul anchored the team. In six playoff games, she averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, bringing the championship to KB.

Kim Dan-bi also said, "Kang Yi-seul is a player with such excellent offensive power. It's not about one person saving the other; if both do what they naturally do, we can achieve great synergy. I think it's best for each to do what they are good at."

Continuing, Kim Dan-bi said, "I think we did our best with what we had last season. The results weren't that good, but we played our best and made it to the playoffs. Now that Kang Yi-seul has joined, there will be a plus." He added, "I'm not saying we will definitely win the championship, but I am very excited to see how amazing our season will be next year."

In addition to signing Kang Yi-seul, Woori Bank has undergone many changes. Last month, the team made a head coach change for the first time in 14 years. Coach Wi Seong-woo, who built the 'Woori Bank Dynasty,' stepped down as head coach to become the general manager. Coach Jeon Ju-won, who had assisted General Manager Wi Seong-woo for 14 years as a 'legend,' has taken the helm as the new head coach. Kim Dan-bi said, "General Manager Wi Seong-woo is like a 'savior of basketball' to me. I am convinced that if I hadn't met him, I wouldn't have gotten this far. He was with me at the start, and I am glad I could also be part of General Manager Wi Seong-woo's conclusion."

With the new changes at Woori Bank and Kang Yi-seul's arrival, Kim Dan-bi has further tightened her resolve. Kim Dan-bi said, "The important thing is not Kang Yi-seul, but me. Since Kang Yi-seul is new, she will have a goal to focus more and do something. She will do well on her own without saying anything. But I think I shouldn't think it's easy just because Kang Yi-seul is here and get complacent. Instead, at this time, I will play with the mindset of a newcomer so that Kang Yi-seul can play even better and the team can perform even better."

Although Kim Dan-bi swept numerous trophies and individual awards, she has one goal for next season: the assists award. This is for her teammates. Kim Dan-bi revealed, "Among my records, I haven't received the assists award. So, at last year's awards ceremony, I said I wanted to receive that award. I also hope that players will shoot confidently and play aggressive basketball they want to play. Now, I want to play basketball where my teammates, not me, are the protagonists."

At the same time, she joked, "I think Kang Yi-seul should score off my passes. I will help other players except for Kang Yi-seul."

Finally, Kim Dan-bi said, "I learned a lot after joining Woori Bank. In a way, I can say I proved that. I hope Kang Yi-seul also proves a lot at Woori Bank. I will help her a lot." She expressed her affection for her new teammate.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.