[Direct Interview] Even with four retirements, Coach Jeon Ju-won respected his players' choices: "Supporting their second lives, this is an opportunity for the remaining players"

*This content was translated by AI.

Asan Woori Bank of the Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) is facing major changes ahead of the off-season. Following Kim Ye-jin (29) who retired last month, Park Hye-mi (31), Yoo Seung-hee (32), and Pyeon Seon-woo (24) have also decided to leave the court all at once. This is clearly a difficult situation for the newly appointed Woori Bank head coach Jeon Ju-won (54) as he prepares for the new season. However, Coach Jeon prioritized respecting his players' choices over any sense of loss and offered his support for their second lives.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 1st, Coach Jeon expressed his regret, saying, "Kim Ye-jin had mentioned before that she wanted to try other things. Park Hye-mi had also stated she would retire after this season. Yoo Seung-hee underwent knee surgery three times and returned, but she said it was too difficult for her."

Nevertheless, Coach Jeon respected the players' decisions. He stated, "However, this is the players' decision, and we must respect it. We cannot simply indulge our own desires. They must have had things they wanted to try, and in Yoo Seung-hee's case, there were unavoidable circumstances due to injuries. I want to support their second lives," conveying his sincere feelings.

Woori Bank announced via the club's SNS the previous day (May 31) that "Park Hye-mi, Yoo Seung-hee, and Pyeon Seon-woo are putting a period to their playing careers." Park Hye-mi told StarNews, "After much thought, I decided to retire." Yoo Seung-hee underwent surgery three times due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Pyeon Seon-woo also struggled with knee injuries. Prior to this, last month, Kim Ye-jin declared her retirement despite obtaining free agent (FA) status.

Of course, there are concerns. Woori Bank has Kim Dan-bi (36), a top-tier player in the league, playing as the ace, and Kang Yi-seul (32), the 'biggest FA target' of this off-season, has also joined. However, with a thinner roster, it may become difficult to sustain through the long season. Coach Jeon frankly admitted, "Basketball is a sport played by five people, and some level of backup is necessary. I am worried about the rotation."

Continuing, Coach Jeon said, "We will head to the off-season training camp, but I will join the team at that time. If the original players were here, there would be no worries, but this is the first time for both me and Kang Yi-seul. I am concerned that we were unable to prepare together." He emphasized, "First, even without Kang Yi-seul, the remaining players need to get used to each other well. If Kang Yi-seul joins while we are not yet in sync, it could become even more difficult. We must prepare well. Only then can we absorb her effectively when she joins."

He is not currently considering additional roster reinforcements. Coach Jeon stated, "For now, we should proceed as we are. Other teams have almost finalized their trades and player compositions. We will try operating with this current roster, and if there are shortcomings, we plan to reinforce them later. Our priority is to make the most of the players we currently have."

Nevertheless, Woori Bank is attempting to sign two Japanese national players through the Asia quota. Their positions will be number 2 and number 3. If they join, they could strengthen the perimeter rotation.

Han Eom-ji (28) is undergoing rehabilitation with the goal of returning during the next season due to injury. As Han Eom-ji is a multi-resource player capable of both inside and outside play, her return could be a great asset to Woori Bank. However, Coach Jeon clearly indicated that he has no intention of rushing her return.

Coach Jeon explained, "When injured players return, the rotation range will likely widen a bit more, but we cannot determine the exact return date yet. We must monitor the rehabilitation progress and make a judgment. We must absolutely avoid overexertion."

Woori Bank is undoubtedly facing a difficult situation. However, Coach Jeon is finding positive aspects even amidst the crisis. He said, "At times like this, other players may get opportunities. We are currently looking for new combinations. I hope that combination works well and returns to form. I want us to become 'one team' quickly."

He further added, "Under a new atmosphere, we will do our best to succeed."

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

*This content was translated by AI.