“Yoo Rim-i shouldn’t just look at the outside, she should also shoot mid-range shots.”
Yongin Samsung Life lost 44-63 to Cheongju KB in the regular season finale of the Woori Bank Woori WON 2023-2024 Women’s Professional Basketball League on Nov. 11 at Cheongju Gymnasium.
This season, Samsung Life has struggled with injuries to key players. The reward has been the growth of Kang Yoo-rim (175 cm, F). He averaged 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 36% from three-point range. His tremendous growth earned him the Player of the Year award.레모나토토 주소
Even at the beginning of this season, Samsung Life is not at full strength due to injuries. Starting with ace Bae Hye-yoon (183 cm, C), Yoon Ye-bin (180 cm, G) and Kiana Smith (178 cm, G) missed the opening and second games. The absence of the main players put a lot of pressure on Kang’s shoulders, and she was now under intense scrutiny from her opponents.
Samsung Life coach Lim Geun-bae said, “(Kang) Yurim always works hard. Every player has to look higher and higher as time goes on. But it shouldn’t be a burden. But for Yoo Rim-i, it seems to be a burden. When you have pressure, your body doesn’t follow. You don’t have balance. I want to tell her not to feel pressure.”
Nevertheless, the reality Kang Yurim faced was not easy. KB was relentless in their defense. They used switch defense, zone defense, and more to harass Kang Yoo-rim. They also used their best defender, Kim Ye-jin (174 cm, F), to guard Kang Yoo-rim.
Samsung Life’s first shot came from the hands of Kang Yoo-rim. She came back from the outside and attempted a mid-range shot, but missed the rim. She then attempted a three-pointer and a two-pointer, but both missed.
However, Kang did not give up. This time, she took a screen from Lee Hae-ran (183 cm, F) and attempted a mid-range shot. She scored the team’s first points with 2:48 left in the quarter. On her next possession, she made a three-pointer. The score made it 5-7 for Samsung Life.
After Kang Yoo-rim’s shot went in, KB pressured her even harder. Kang Yoo-rim struggled with KB’s pressure defense and couldn’t get a shot off. In 6 minutes and 29 seconds, Kang attempted only one shot.
Kang Yoo-rim scored five points in the first quarter. Other than Kang Yoo-rim, the rest of Samsung Life’s players scored only five points, meaning that Samsung Life only scored 10 points in the first quarter in a frustrating flow.
In the second quarter, Kang Yoo-rim continued to play as a starter. However, she struggled a bit against KB’s strong defense. She attempted two shots, but missed both. He went to the bench four minutes and one second into the quarter. When Kang Yoo-rim was benched, Samsung Life’s scoring was also benched. Samsung Life only scored six points in the second quarter.
The gap was huge. For that reason, Samsung Life evenly matched its players. Younger players took the court, but Kang Yoo-rim stayed on the court. She had to be the center of the team. Still, Kang struggled a bit with the opposing defense. Her first two three-point attempts missed.
However, she watched her teammates’ movements and quickly found her teammates, especially in fast break situations. Kang Yoo-rim recorded two assists. Samsung Life narrowed the gap in the third quarter with a quick offense. However, the gap was still large. The score was 32-53 at the end of the third quarter.
Due to the large margin, Kang played only 2 minutes and 3 seconds in the fourth quarter. She attempted one three-pointer, but missed.
On the day, Kang played 28 minutes. She started off strong, scoring five points in the first quarter. However, she struggled with the defense and missed all of her subsequent shots. Only one of her seven three-pointers went through the rim.
In response, Samsung Life coach Lim Geun-bae said in a postgame interview, “Yoo Rim must be under pressure. We have to be tighter now and try to prevent her from shooting from the perimeter. We have to try more mid-range and cut-in attacks. I tried a mid-range shot in the first quarter. It didn’t go in, but we need to keep practicing and trying. I can’t just throw it from the outside anymore,” he said.
Indeed, Kang is being guarded more than he was last season. Even in her last game against Hana OneQ, she only attempted three three-pointers. To address this, he needs more scoring options. That’s why Lim has emphasized mid-range shooting and cut-in attacks.