Seoul: The women's national basketball team of South Korea will compete in the Asian Games in Japan without its top center, Park Ji-su, as announced by the Korea Basketball Association (KBA) on Monday. The decision comes as Park has not yet fully recovered from an ankle injury, affecting her participation in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park Ji-su, a 27-year-old prominent player standing at 193 centimeters, has been a pivotal figure for South Korea. She is a four-time MVP in the Women's Korean Basketball League and has also showcased her talents in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States. The KBA stated, "Park Ji-su really wanted to make the national team and has been in constant communication with the coaching staff. She has been working hard to get back in time. However, considering her current physical state and her recovery, she will not be able to play at the Asian Games."
The KBA revealed that they will not select a replacement for Park, opting instead to proceed with a squad of 11 players. Head coach Park Soo-ho expressed that the team has been enhancing their chemistry since the summer and will focus on maximizing the potential of the current roster. "As disappointing as it is not to have Park Ji-su, we want to now concentrate on getting the most out of the 11 players we have at the moment, rather than adding someone new at this point," he stated.
Additionally, South Korea will be missing its only WNBA player, Park Ji-hyun, due to her commitments with the Los Angeles Sparks. Despite these challenges, the team is determined to secure its first women's basketball gold medal since 2014. Their campaign begins with a Group C match against Malaysia at 10 a.m. Friday at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, central Japan.
Following the opener, South Korea will face Mongolia at 1 p.m. next Monday, concluding the preliminary round against Chinese Taipei at 4 p.m. on September 22, all at the same venue in Nagoya. The women's tournament includes two groups of four teams and one group of three. The two best teams from each group, along with the two best third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.