Onyang Girls’ High School captain Kim So-yul “keeps opponents on their toes”

Onyang Girls High School captain Kim So-yul (168 cm, G) is ready for the weekend league.

The 2024 Korea Basketball Weekend League qualifying tournament for each region kicked off on July 15. While the tournament is in full swing in regions other than Honam and Gyeongsangbuk-do, the girls’ middle school and high school divisions will begin in earnest in July.

Onyang Girls’ High School, which is in Group C along with Cheongju Girls’ High School, Supia Girls’ High School, and Hyosung Girls’ High School, is also in the midst of preparing for the weekend league. The team is composed of one junior, two sophomores, three juniors, and four freshmen, with six players currently training with the team, excluding two who were selected for the 파워볼실시간 U18 national team.

Kim So-yul, the only third grader and captain, said, “We have a small number of players, but we are doing our best. The team atmosphere is also good,” Kim said, indicating that the team is ready for the weekend league.

Onyang Girls‘ High School coach Cho Hyun-jung said of Kim, “Until last year, I worked hand in hand with my older sisters, but this year I’m leading my younger sisters by myself. It’s a tough situation, but she’s getting better as she’s been playing consistently since her freshman year. She defends well, whether in the front or backcourt, and is talented at assisted passing. He has a good shooting percentage from mid-range, but he needs to improve on his lack of speed for his height.”

Kim So-yul agreed: “He is confident in his assist passes. I’m short, but I’m strong, so I can defend well. We have a lot of guards on the team, so we often go down to the four on offense. I think the reason why my coach asks me to play the four is because I have a good mid-range shot,” he said of his strengths.

“I’m slow for my height. I’m training to get faster. I’m working on getting faster, and I’m a little timid during games, so I want to be more confident and improve my one-on-one skills,” he said.

“In April, I kept trying to do something, so I made a lot of mistakes. I wasn’t satisfied with my first and second matches in the qualifiers, but in the third match, my coach encouraged me to relax and it went better.”

“I had a lot of ups and downs during the May Federation Championship. I worked hard on defense, but I wasn’t confident overall. When I was attacking, my coach told me to go down to the four and play, but I regretted that I couldn’t do it properly.”

As for the advice she usually receives from her coach, she said, “On offense, she tells me to keep doing what I’m doing and be confident. On defense, she tells me not to use my hands too much and to follow with my legs. He also tells me to box out thoroughly.”

As for her role model, she cites Busan BNK’s Ahn Hye-ji. “I want to learn from her because she’s fast and sees the whole court,” Kim said. “In the KBL, I’m looking up to LG’s Yoo Yoo-sang. She’s a good three-point shooter, and she’s cool. He’s a rookie, but he’s playing like that, so I keep looking at him,” he said, referring to Ahn Hye-ji and Yoo Yoo-sang.

Finally, Kim So-yul said, “I want to be a steady player without ups and downs. I’m in my third year, so I won’t let my emotions get the best of me, and I’ll hold the center of the team. I want to enter the Wangjoongwang with a better form than in the first half. I’m doing my best with the mindset of making fewer mistakes and letting everyone try. I’m determined to create a lot of fast break situations and keep my opponents busy.”