Women's Basketball is No. 1 in Europe

Park Ji-soo (26, 1m96cm), the national treasure of the Korean women's basketball team, once again challenged herself to perform overseas to keep her promise. This time, she will head to Turkiye as a foreign player, not a promising player.

The Cheongju KB in the Women's Basketball League (WKBL) approved Park Ji-soo's overseas activities on the 3rd. The two sides had one year left on their contract. However, an offer was received from a club in Turkiye last month, and KB, which confirmed Park's will, decided to add strength to the challenge.

Park Ji-soo has emerged as a pillar of Korean women's basketball as he was named the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 WKBL Rookie of the Year competition. Throughout the eight seasons of the WKBL, he reigned as a unique player, including four MVP awards and two MVP titles in the championship game. Park's attack was overwhelming with his height, which is rare in Korea. In the 2023-24 season, he reached the peak by winning eight individual gold medals for the first time at the WKBL Awards. The previous record was seven gold medals, which was also down to Park.

The WKBL stage is narrow for Park. "I thought the same thing. When I thought about 'what I can gain and achieve,' I have yet to find an answer. Nothing has been decided yet, but I have a lot of desire to play abroad." 스포츠토토

The opportunity to challenge himself came sooner than expected. After one month of negotiations after the award ceremony, Park Ji-soo has been confirmed to advance to the Turkiye league. She has become the first player in the history of Korean women's basketball to compete in Europe. She will head to Turkiye in September when her training camp begins. The destination of her club in Turkiye has yet to be made public due to team circumstances. Park is expected to play in the national team's exhibition match and the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup preliminary qualifying round before she departs.

KB Stars' Park Ji-soo poses with the trophy after winning the MVP and eight gold medals at the 2023-2024 WKBL Women's Professional Basketball Awards held at the 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th.

In a recent telephone interview with this newspaper, Park Ji-soo said, "Actually, I had no intention of leaving Korea this time. After the championship game, I rested for just one week and started working out immediately. As I prepared for the 2023-24 season, I was in the process of recovering through physical exercise," adding, "But I was surprised to receive an offer from the club in Turkiye. I could challenge myself after the contract expired, but I thought now was the right moment when I had the opportunity."

What stimulated Park's challenge was his desire to prove it. "No one told me that I was going to play basketball with my height," he said. Rather, he thought about it himself. When I competed with a foreign player, I had to be able to maintain my skills, but I doubted myself. I thought I had to go abroad to do that."

Park also played in the WNBA before the COVID-19. The WNBA did not coincide with the WKBL schedule, which made it possible. This time, the WNBA team was different from the past. "I felt like a promising player who was 'expecting' me in the WNBA," Park said. However, in the case of Turkey, she is becoming a completely 'foreign player.' In the U.S., she was 'willing to learn', but this time, she is 'willing to prove it'."

The Turkiye is one of the major leagues in Europe. Just like the men's, the women's basketball is also considered a stage where physical struggle takes place. The regular season has 28 matches, similar to the WKBL (30 matches), but the number of matches is quite large due to the World Cup championship and the Euro championship, which is like a competition between clubs. "Spain, Russia, and Turkiye are considered top leagues. I was surprised to receive offers from more stages than I thought. Top WNBA players also play on the stage. I don't want to lose out in the competition with them," he said.

Park Ji-soo spoke out to prove himself on the European stage.

Ahead of Park's competition in Turkiye, the complementary point of off-season is speed. "When I meet a tall foreign player in an international competition, I have disadvantages when I defend myself. I felt the same in the U.S. as well. I think we need to increase our speed," he said.

Then, what is Park's ultimate goal that she wants to prove? "Of course, my goal is to advance to the WNBA, but more than anything, I want to achieve good results at international competitions for the national team. I don't think we have proved our capabilities at the recent Olympics, Asian Games, and World Cup. I want to take this opportunity to become a better player."

Meanwhile, I talked to this newspaper on the phone on the day Park Ji-soo visited his alma mater and donated the basketball development fund. Park said, "My kids already know that I'm going abroad. They sent me messages of support through rolling paper, and I was so grateful. I told my sixth-grader that I should meet him in a pro program next time. I hope my challenge will help my juniors."

Park Ji-soo said to his fans, "He was very upset and sad, but he sent me congratulations, so I had mixed feelings. I still can't help but I can see his fans. In a way, it may be my selfish choice, but I still want to show you a better performance as you showed me a lot of support."

KB Stars' Park Ji-soo is tearful with emotion after winning the MVP and eight gold medals at the 2023-2024 WKBL Women's Professional Basketball Awards held at 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th.

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