Park Ji-soo (196cm, C) gave strength to Korean women’s basketball just by being there.

The Korean women’s national basketball team (hereafter referred to as Korea) lost 60-82 to Latvia in an evaluation match held at Arena Riga in Latvia on the 10th (Korean time). They won all the evaluation matches held in 2022, but lost the first evaluation match held in 2023.

Korea struggled in the 2022 match against Latvia. There are many reasons, but it is because Park Ji-soo, the pillar of the national team, fell into panic disorder.

However, the 2023 evaluation match is different. Of course, Latvia is not a good factor, but it is because Park Ji-soo was included in the national team’s entry. Even if the condition is not 100%, Park Ji-soo’s height can threaten Latvia’s tall resources.메이저사이트

Even if Park Ji-soo is on the court, other players throw the burden of fighting high. If that happens, Korea can push Latvia with speed. So Park Ji-soo’s addition can act as a big advantage before this evaluation.

Such Park Ji-soo was included in the starting lineup. Players who can support such as Lee Gyeong-eun (174cm, G), Kang Iseul (180cm, F), Kim Dan-bi (180cm, F), and Jin An (181cm, C) were included in the starting lineup. Park Ji-soo was able to play in a relatively stable situation.

From the start, he’s been running a mid-range jumper. After that, he blocked Latvia’s breakthrough with a blocked shot. He showed off his strength on defense as well.

However, Park Ji-soo could not penetrate the paint zone. A strength fight failed to overwhelm his own matchup. Korea, which had a 4-0 lead, was also shaken sharply. South Korea, down 4-8, requested the first time-out 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the game. Park Ji-soo briefly stepped off the court after a timeout.

After a short break, he appeared on the court. He accumulated points by penetrating under the goal following a screen. Corner jumpers were also sophisticated. Defensive rebounding was also strictly controlled. However, Korea could not overcome Latvia’s height and strong physical fight. The first quarter ended 13-20.

Park Ji-soo, who took a breather, became bold in the second quarter. He struggled with Latvia’s tallest resource and moved widely both in attack and defense. The increased speed and blocked shot attempts were also threatening. His finishing concentration was also the best among Korean players.

However, Latvia persistently attacked Park Ji-soo. Park Ji-soo was exhausted with continuous attempts to score points in the paint zone and struggles. National team coach Jeong Seon-min had no choice but to give Park Ji-soo a break.

Danbi Kim and Jinan played a big role. Korea’s defensive energy level has also increased. However, the defensive resources to block Latvia’s attack under the goal were also lacking. Korea, which created a pursuit flow, was shaken in an instant. The first half ended 27-37.

Park Ji-soo was reintroduced in the 3rd quarter. He showed height and basketball sense. He gave strength to his teammates with height-based defense under the goal, participation in air defense rebounds, and bounce passes and screens based on sense.

However, Korea felt a power difference with Latvia. As time passed, the difference in power became more severe. Park Ji-soo held on with all his might, but Korea was pushed back 48-68 7 minutes and 21 seconds before the end of the game. For the rest of the time, I couldn’t overturn a big inferiority. I had to admit defeat.

Although it is an evaluation match, Park Ji-soo played an A-match after a long time. Both senses and stamina could not be the same as before. However, with 15 points, 10 rebounds (5 attacks), 1 assist, and 1 blocked shot, he was the only player on the team to achieve double-digit points and a double-double. It proved once again that it is an irreplaceable resource for Korean women’s basketball.

However, it was regrettable that there were not enough resources to relieve Park Ji-soo’s burden. No one other than Park Ji-soo scored double digits, and the number of successful 3-pointers was only ‘5’. His 3-point shooting success rate is also 20%. Just looking at the first match against Latvia, it was quite evident. This is also a homework that the women’s basketball team needs to solve.