Women’s Pro Basketball: When a Beauty Cannot Make Score Maker

A girl with many dreams feels blue these days. She often sighs alone, teardrops falling. However, this is not the end. Hope still whispers from a corner of her heart for her to do better.

For Shin Hye-in, the 19 year-old, 185-milimeter-tall rookie of the Shinsegae Cool Cats, whose attractive looks helped launch a fan web site of 30,000 members, the winter league of the Uri Financial Group Prize tournament was a series of agonies. She played as a replacement in three games for only 16 minutes and 55 seconds. She attempted five regular shots with no success. It was embarrassing for her who made her professional debut in a fantastic media spotlight. Even worse, her team lost three games in a row.

“Frankly, as a rookie I did not expect much. However, I thought I could do better than this,” said Shin.

What was the problem? Shin said in an interview on February 3, “There were only a few players who were taller than I was in high school games. In the pro league, foreign players and many other taller players give me a hard time.” There exists a tall barrier for the rookie who’ll have a high school diploma in February to enter the professional league.

Other players hold her in check, to the point that she is called a pushover. “My first impression appears rather cold. Some senior players misunderstood me, and I was heavily checked by defenders in the games,” said Shin. Her favorite offensive play, outflanking from the left, has been scouted and has made it hard for her to make a score.

However, she remains the focus of public attention. It is to the point that she still received interview requests on the same day of a loss. This also contributes to her declining playing ability. “I shot excessively because I was under pressure to play well.”

She cannot remain demoralized any longer. Shin increased her weight to 68 kilograms from 66 kilograms to strengthen her physique. She plans to increase it to 70 kilograms. Unlike many teenagers who are on a diet, she always has a midnight snack. She randomly eats instant noodles, pastries, or yogurt.

To diversify her monolithic attack methods, she starts shooting around at 6 a.m. Shin also practices at night. She was recently offered to appear in a commercial but declined in order to commit herself completely to the games.

Shin, the second-eldest daughter of Shin Chi-yong, the manager of Samsung Fire and Casualty Insurance basketball team, and Chun Mi-ae, the former national team player and the manager of Kukil Precision Industry team, benefits greatly from parental advice.

“While my mother said that my father always asked when I would finally win, my parents advised that I don’t have to be overly ambitious. I have to practice hard as a way of compensating for the games in which I don’t play. My father said the opportunity would eventually come if I am prepared.”

Shin said she wants to give impressive performances regardless of how long she plays basketball. She is certain that the day will come for her when she will score a lot and win many games.

Shin, a rookie, has to collect water bottles for her senior players after each game. When can we see this rookie smile?

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com