Suwon Women’s High School’s Choi Sarang (176 cm, G, F) was on fire in her first game after being released from a transfer ban.
Suwon Women’s High School won 68-58 against Bundang Management High School in the Women’s High School Girls’ National Championship at the 105th National Sports Games at Myeongji Natural Campus Gymnasium on Friday.
Sophomore shooter Choi Sarang 파워볼사이트 led the team to victory with 27 points, including two three-pointers.
For Choi, who transferred to Suwon Women’s High School last year from Cheongsoljung-Bundang Management High School, it was her debut game at Suwon Women’s High School. Players who change schools are not allowed to compete in tournaments organized by the Korea Secondary School Basketball Federation for one year and the Korea Basketball Association for three months after issuing a transfer agreement.
Choi Sarang, who met her family team in the first game after changing uniforms, said, “It feels good to win my last high school trial game. “I was nervous because it was my first game after I was released from the transfer discipline, but my teammates helped me play well. We were able to win as a team, starting with my first-year siblings,” said Choi.
The atmosphere is different from other tournaments as each team competes for one of the two spots at the national championships, which are held in single-elimination matches.
Choi Sarang said, “It’s different from other competitions because it’s a single-elimination game where you can’t lose. I was a little nervous before the match, but once I got into the match, I didn’t feel nervous and tried to show what I had practiced. I’m happy that it turned out the way I practiced,” Choi said of her victory.
Choi’s favorite sport is shooting. Her shooting ability is so good that she can score from all distances, including mid-range and three-pointers. Suwon Girls’ High School coach Kang Byung-soo also praised Choi, saying, “She is a player with a strong shooting ability and she also plays really hard on defense.”
When asked to introduce herself, Choi said, “I am confident in my shooting. However, I need to improve my defense. My weakness is my slow reaction time in one-on-one defense. I need to improve my defense to avoid being half a player. I’m working on my ability to follow through and cover even if I’m penetrated first.”
Choi’s dream professional role model is somewhat unique: Jeon Sung-hyun of the Changwon LG Sakers, who plays in the KBL.
“I have two role models, Jeon Sung-hyun and Kim Dan-bi. Especially since I play the shooter position, I watch Jeon’s game a lot. She has a very fast shooting timing and high accuracy, and she has excellent drive-in and defense skills, not just shooting,” he said.
Suwon Girls’ High School, which won the title at the 2022 National Games, will represent Gyeonggi-do again after two years. The National Games will be held in October in Sacheon, Gyeongnam.
“As a team, we aim to finish in the top four at the national championships,” Choi said, “and as an individual, I want to improve my defense and become an all-around player on both sides of the ball.”