“I want any player to step onto the court and confidently take on their own defender”

Samsung Life has undergone a “rebuilding” over the past few years. After winning the championship, they immediately traded Kim Han-byul (178 cm, F) to secure their future. As a result, younger players like Lee Hae-ran (180 cm, F) and Kang Yoo-rim (175 cm, F) joined the team.

And last season, Samsung Life’s rebuilding seemed to have taken a turn for the better, as the team acquired Kiana Smith (178 cm, G), the top pick in the draft. In fact, Samsung Life had a strong start to the season, knocking off the “powerhouse” Asan Woori Bank. They went 4-1 in the first round. After a brief slump in the second round, they bounced back in the third round with a 4-1 record.안전놀이터

However, things started to go wrong from there. In the fourth round against Woori Bank, both Lee Ju-yeon (171 cm, G) and Kiana were ruled out for the season. Although Samsung Life managed to make it to the playoffs, the injuries to their main players were too much for them. The team ended its season on March 14, losing to Busan BNK in the second round of the best-of-four playoffs.

After the break, Samsung Life held a fitness test on March 28. Players who passed the test would receive two weeks of extended vacation. All of the players passed, and the team began full-scale team training on the 15th.

Currently, Samsung Life is focusing on conditioning and skill training to improve their physical condition.

In particular, they are training a lot to improve their one-on-one skills. Lim Geun-bae, the head coach of Samsung Life, also took the ball and gave a one-on-one lecture to the players. So why did Lim emphasize one-on-one skills?

“Actually, we struggled a lot in the middle of last season, and it took a long time for the younger players to adapt to the team as we lost three main players, so I realized the importance of one-on-one skills. I want any player to be able to go out on the court and confidently face their defender, so that’s why I focus on one-on-one training,” Lim explained.

“It’s okay to make mistakes, be aggressive,” was the most common phrase Lim said during the training session. When asked why, he said, “This is literally training. You have to train what you can’t do or can’t do normally. If you’re intimidated in training, you’ll never use it in practice. That’s why I want young players to be confident and show what they have and improve.”