Lee Yoon-ki, who drew praise from director Song Young-jin
“I joined late, so I worked harder!”
Lee Yoon-ki (26, 188.7 cm) is trying to quickly integrate into KT.
Suwon KT lost 100-101 against the 2023-2024 KBL D-League Sangsang Sangsang on Tuesday at Icheon LG Champions Park.
KT went into the All-Star break with an away game against DB on Aug. 8. Considering that their next game is on the road against Korea Gas Corporation on the 18th, they have 10 days to recover.
Perhaps because of this, KT sent its first team, including Moon Jung-hyun, to the D-League game against the Sangmu. The firepower was also on fire. With the right rotation and role distribution, KT was on the verge of inflicting a second straight loss on Sangmu.
However, they couldn’t control Byun’s competitive instincts.
Lee Yoon-ki, who until recently had faced KT in a Merchant Marine uniform, played for KT on this day and faced Merchant Marine again. Lee finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and one assist in 25 minutes of action.
Especially in a game that was full of seesaw battles, Lee’s high-sensitivity three-point shooting left Sangmu gasping for air every time they tried to catch up.
After the game, Lee Yoon-ki said, “I felt like we were going to lose today. So we came together with the idea of playing harder. Although we lost the game, I think it went well and was fun,” she said.
Lee Yoon-ki added, “Coach told us to prioritize the basics and play well. We paid attention to the little things like defense and rebounding, and I think that led to a good performance.”
After the regular season loss to DB, KT head coach Song Young-jin expressed his disappointment that his team did not have a player who could actively handle the ball from the inside. Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-ki hit four three-pointers against DB and boasted a high three-point shooting percentage of 80 percent.
Lee said, “He doesn’t tell me anything in particular (laughs). He just told me to shoot with confidence. Most importantly, I joined the team late, so I can’t keep up with the promised team defense. I’m trying to contribute to the team as much as possible by catching my mistakes,” she explained.
Lee Yoon-ki wore a KOGAS uniform before joining the team. However, after enlisting in the army, the interests of KOGAS and KT aligned, and Lee was traded to KT. Despite the change of team, Lee has explained that his current role is not much different than before.
As a 3&D player, Lee is currently working hard to maximize her shooting stats and increase her playing time.
“I’ve been practicing my shooting the most lately. I always want to do my best when I step on the court. I joined the team late, so I’m focusing on adapting quickly,” she said.