Ahead of the opening of the 2026-2027 Women's Professional Basketball (WKBL) season, 12 managers and players from six clubs gathered at a media day to share their determinations for the new season.

As the new season kicks off this coming Sunday with a matchup between Cheongju KB and Busan BNK, attention was drawn to the national team players who united to win a gold medal at the Asian Games for the first time in 12 years.

Key gold medal contributors—such as Jin An of Hana Bank, Kang Lee-seul of Woori Bank, Huh Ye-eun of KB, Lee Hae-ran of Samsung Life Insurance, and Lee So-hee and Ahn Hye-ji of BNK—showcased fierce, uncompromising rivalry as they pledged to lead their respective teams to victory.

Jin An, who took on the dirty work for the national team, said that the players who trained together for three months became as close as family, but declared, "I'm sorry, but I can't hold back" now that they meet as opposing teams.

Kang Lee-seul, the national team captain, retorted, "You don't have to hold back," and expressed confidence that she would face the younger players with composure, citing her seniority and experience.
 
The resolve of the younger players, who have grown further through the Asian Games, was also full of spirit.

Lee So-hee, who emerged as a next-generation ace for the national team, pledged to showcase her strengths in offense even more, having gained confidence through the international competition.

Lee Hae-ran, who played a role as another clutch solver, expressed regret that she was not mentioned as a potential MVP candidate for the new season, stating with bold ambition, "I think breaking predictions is the spirit of sports. I will break those predictions."

Kang Lee-seul also picked Lee Hae-ran as the player to watch out for the most, evaluating that her skills have improved significantly through the Asian Games.

Transfers of key players are also expected to be a variable in the championship race for the new season.

Kang Lee-seul, who led KB to a combined championship last season, has transferred to Woori Bank to form a new combination with Kim Dan-bi.

KB, which lost Kang Lee-seul, will challenge for a second consecutive title centered around Park Ji-su, who was unable to participate in the Asian Games due to an ankle injury.
 
As Woori Bank's Kim Dan-bi sits third on the all-time scoring list with 7,950 career points, she aims to break the all-time scoring record of 8,476 points held by the retired Kim Jung-eun.

There are also changes at the helm.

Head coach Wi Sung-woo, who led Woori Bank for 14 years, stepped down to become general manager, and Jeon Joo-won took over the new helm.

With this, including BNK's Park Jung-eun and Shinhan Bank's Choi Yoon-ah, the number of female head coaches has increased to three, marking the first time in women's professional basketball history that half of the six clubs are led by female managers.

(Photo: Yonhap News)