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"There is no offseason"

Shake Up in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference!

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January 31, 2017

The Washington Mystics, New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm were involved in a three team trade yesterday. The Mystics traded Kia Vaughn and Bria Hartley to the New York Liberty in exchange for Seattle’s #6 pick in the first round of the 2017 WNBA Draft. In return, the Storm received Liberty center Carolyn Swords. Washington also exchanged this year’s second round pick (15 th overall) for Seattle’s second round selection (18th overall). The blockbuster trade didn’t go down until later in the evening when it was announced that Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne had been traded to the Mystics! Delle Donne expressed her desire to part ways with the Chicago Sky to be closer to home (Delaware) and even suggested she would be willing to sit out if a deal didn’t get done. Chicago’s hand was forced and in exchange for their superstar the Sky will receive the 2015 All-Star center Stefanie Dolson; last season’s seventh overall pick, Kahleah Copper; and the second overall selection in this year’s draft.

The acquisition of one of the best players in the WNBA immediately makes the Mystics a championship contender. The Mystics finished 10th in the standings last season with a dismal 13-21 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season. Elena Delle Donne who was the league MVP for the 2015 season will team up with All-Star forward Emma Messeman who continues to improve every year. Messeman was selected to her first All-Star game in 2015 and in 2016 she led her team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She also lead the entire WNBA in three-point shooting percentage at 45.5%. Tayler Hill had a breakout season for the Mystics where she finished second in voting for Most Improved Player in 2016. Hill’s scoring average increased from 7.5 ppg in 2015 to 15.4 ppg in 2016. Delle Donne, Messeman, and Hill are a pretty dangerous big three in the Eastern Conference. The Mystics  are now the team to beat. Although the Liberty had the best record in the EC and the third best record overall last season, Delle Donne changes the game. If head coach Mike Thibault can smoothly insert the talent of Delle Donne into his fast paced offense, they will be an exciting team to watch. Maybe old Mystics fans will come back and support their team this coming season. They certainly will have a lot to cheer for! 

 

 

Korean League Jan 23-30 Round 5

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Woori Bank celebrates after clinching the WKBL regular season title.

As teams continue to battle for playoff spots Woori Bank clinched the regular season with their win on Friday. For the sixth consecutive season, Woori will play in the WKBL finals. After this week of the games the standings remained the same. On Monday, Shinhan Bank defeated KEB Hana bank 70-49. On Wednesday, Samsung continued their winning ways convincingly defeating Winnus KDB 87-58. Karima Christmas was limited to only one minute as she sprained her ankle at the start of the game. KB Stars added another win to their record defeating sliding KEB Hana 71-61 behind point guard Seong Young who finished with a season high 24 points. Woori Bank had a regular season title on the line when they faced Samsung at home Friday. After a close first half, Woori pulled away in the second half winning 86-67 behind another 20 and 20 game from Jonquel Jones.

January 23, 2017

Shinhan Bank vs. KEB Hana 70-49 SHI Williams (30 min) 13 pts 16 rebs 3 ast Vaioletama (9 min) 2 pts 2 reb  KEB Thornton (14 min) 6 pts 6 rebs Achonwa (25 min) 8 pts 8 rebs

January 25, 2017

Samsung vs. Winnus KDB 87-58 SAM Thomas (11 min) 16 pts 1 reb Howard (27 min) 14 pts 10 reb KDB Hawkins (37 min) 25 pts 12 reb Christmas DNP 

January 26, 2017

KB Stars vs. KEB Hana 71-61 KB Pierson (28 min) 11 pts 14 rebs  Braxton (11 min) 6 pts 1 reb KEB Thornton (26 min) 14 pts 10 reb  Achonwa (13 min) 3 pts 2 reb

January 27, 2017

Woori Bank vs. Samsung 86-67 WOO Currie (14 min) 9 pts 5 reb Jones (25 min) 21 pts 20 reb SAM Thomas (25 min) 14 pts 10 reb Howard (14 min) 10 pts 6 reb 3 ast

Standings;

  1. Woori Bank 24-1
  2. Samsung 13-12
  3. Shinhan Bank 11-14
  4. KEB Hana 10-15
  5. Winnus KDB 9-16
  6. KB Stars 8-17

Woori Bank Clinch Regular Season Title!

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January 29, 2017

Jonquel Jones, Monique Currie and Lim Young Hee celebrate their Korean League 2017 regular season championship.

First placed Woori Bank clinched the regular season title on Friday in the Korean League with ten games still left in the season. With a 24-1 record, it comes as no surprise that Woori won the Korean League regular season and are the favorites to win the WKBL Finals again this year. Woori Bank has won the last five championships in the league but this season is special as they set the record for the fastest pace to clinch a playoff berth. In her first season overseas, Jonquel Jones has dominated the league this season with averages of 16 points per game to go along with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks! Jones is a shoe-in to win the league’s MVP this season. Currie, who earlier in the season became the all-time leading foreign scorer after four seasons in the Korean league celebrates her first regular season championship.

Korean League Jan 18-22 (Round 4)

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Woori Bank improved to 23-1 on the season.

January 22, 2017 

The Korean League resumed play after the all-star break and already the standings have again changed. Shinhan Bank who found themselves at the bottom of the standings early on have worked their way into a playoff spot. KEB Hana who for a long time held onto second place in the standings have hit a rough patch lately and find themselves in 4th place. With a win on Friday Woori Bank will clinch the regular season. All other teams are in a close race for the other two spots.

The first game after the break was won in the last second of the game. KB Stars finally got win number 7 as their rookie star scored a basket with no time remaining on the clock. Samsung is trying to separate themselves from the rest of the group as they cruised to 15 point lead against KEB Hana. Woori Bank picked up where they left off defeating KDB on their home floor. Shinhan Bank picked up a win on the road against Samsung to put themselves in a playoff spot. Woori Bank were back on the road against KB Stars where they continue to dominate the league.

KB Stars vs. Winnus KDB 63-62 KB Pierson 7p/5r/3a Braxton 11p/2r KDB Christmas 22p/8r Hawkins 11p/4r

KEB Hana vs. Samsung 66-81 KEB Thornton 9p/11r/4s Achonwa 17p/5r SAM Thomas 20p/16r/5a Howard 1p/5r

KDB vs. Woori Bank 58-65 KDB Christmas 15p/10r Hawkins 6p/7r WOO Currie 2p/3r Jones 18p/10r

Samsung vs. Shinhan Bank 65-74 SAM Thomas 22p/13r Howard 8p/5r  SHI Williams 22p/18r Vaioletama 2p/1r

KB Stars vs. Woori Bank 61-75 KB Pierson 7p/8r Braxton 15p/4r/3a Park Ji-soo 16p/10r/5a WOO Currie 8p/6r/4a Jones 9p/6r

Standings;

  1. Woori Bank 23-1
  2. Samsung 12-11
  3. Shinhan Bank 10-14
  4. KEB Hana 10-14
  5. Winnus KDB 9-15
  6. KB Stars 7-16

 

WNBA Players Participate in the Women’s March In D.C.

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January 22, 2o17

On Saturday millions across the nation and around the world marched in support of women’s rights. A day after the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States Donald Trump, women, men and children made it clear that women will demand respect and that their rights are human rights. There is a feeling among many that President Trump is a threat to the advancement of women’s rights with the misogynistic rhetoric his campaign spewed, the derogatory comments he was recorded making about women, and his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which made it possible for millions of people to get health insurance that includes coverage for birth control and prenatal care. President Trump has also spoken of his desire to defund Planned Parenthood; an organization that provides low-cost family-planning services and other health care to millions of people every year. The crowds that showed up in Washington D.C. on Saturday trumped the scattered presence at the Inauguration the day before. Dressed in pink and armed with unity and some pretty unique signs and props, the Women’s March 2017 made history. In what doubled as an anti Trump rally, it was not only about the rights of women but also a protest against the Trump administration’s policy positions toward a wide range of groups, including Mexican immigrants, Muslims, and the LGBT community.

Briann January of the Indiana Fever made the trip to D.C. to support women’s rights.

 

Marissa Coleman of the Indiana Fever heads to the march on the D.C. metro.

As some of the first professional athletes to take a stand against social injustice it comes as no surprise that several WNBA players were in attendance for the Women’s March on Washington. Last summer the WNBA and it’s players were in the spotlight after several teams wore Black Lives Matter t-shirts during game warm-ups, kneeled during the playing of the national anthem, and publicly spoke out against police brutality. Despite some backlash and even fines handed down from the league, which were later rescinded, the players refused to be silenced. The New York Liberty even went as far as not taking questions from the media about anything other than those pertaining to the the message they were sending. Marissa Coleman of the Indiana Fever marched on Saturday and had a lot to say about her experience.

“I wanted to be apart of the millions of people who joined in solidarity to show we will not be silenced. I also needed to be apart of something uplifting and inspirational after such an emotional few months after learning Trump would be our president.”

So again, WNBA players were on the front lines of protest and in support of change. These issues directly affect the women of the WNBA and it’s wonderful to see players being involved and active off the court. The March on Saturday will not be the last you see of these women. Coleman and January both have plans to take action in their home away from home in Indianapolis. They are interested in working with the police department to provide and support educational programs for underprivileged kids in the area. After rallying with thousands of women in the nation’s capital, Coleman left with a feeling of hope. “For the first since Trump has been elected, I felt a sense of hope. I left wanting to do more and be better. I felt inspired leaving.”  The women of the WNBA are role models and serve a great purpose to their communities. They are the future leaders in this country and continue to inspire us all.

Washington D.C. native and Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson supported women’s rights on Saturday.

WNBA Offers Players Internships During the Off Season

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January 17, 2017

Unlike the NBA season, which lasts almost eight months if you include the playoffs, the WNBA season is only five months long. That leaves a lot of time for league players to do something else during the other months of the year. The majority of players head overseas to compete in foreign leagues during the “off-season”, but many stay home to pursue other opportunities. WNBA players can make up to five times more than their domestic salaries abroad which is why many head that way during the offseason.  The maximum salary of a WNBA player is a little over $100,000, with the average around $75,000. While this is great money for the time spent, and besides, these women get to play basketball for a living, most continue on in varying careers after their playing days are over. To help better prepare WNBA players for life after basketball the league provides paid internship opportunities to those that are interested. Already, the league requires it’s players to either be 22 years of age, graduated from a four-year university, or used all of their college eligibility to even enter the WNBA, which serves a great purpose when the time comes to hang up your sneakers.

The WNBA has partnered with several companies that have internship positions available for players to pursue during their time off. Players are also able to create their own internship with a company if they choose to. Many players have taken advantage of this opportunity as they see the importance of gaining real life work experience. UCONN standout and current Washington Mystics Center Stefanie Dolson is currently working an internship with Bobbi Brown, one of the most famous cosmetic companies in the country. Dolson currently works with the PR and Marketing team setting up ads and helping to ensure Bobbi Brown products are portrayed in a positive light. When asked why she decided to use her off-season to complete an internship Dolson said,

“I think it’s [an intership] important because as an athlete our careers only last as long as our bodies do so it’s a good idea to have something in line for after we can’t play anymore.”

Dolson hopes that this new experience with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics will help her to figure out what she is interested in outside of basketball. She will have gained invaluable hands on experience that will prepare her for a second career after basketball.

Stephanie is known for her bubbly personality and unique style off the court.

Many players in the past have taken advantage of the WNBA’s internship opportunity and this year a record number of players are currently enrolled. Several years ago, 10 year WNBA veteran Monique Currie completed an internship with EYA, a real estate development company in the Washington D.C. area. Currie was unable to play basketball that year as she had suffered an ACL injury while playing overseas. Upon returning home, she decided her time would be best used to not only rehab but to pursue other interests outside of basketball as well. “My time with EYA was an amazing opportunity for me. I’m very interested in real estate and was able to use my time to better prepare myself for the future. WNBA players pretty much play year-round and are unable to gain real work experience outside of basketball so I am extremely grateful and proud that the league is taking the initiative to help their players succeed in life.”  Currie wrote a pretty insightful and funny blog post about some of her first experiences with the company that you can read here. From the Court to the Cubicle.

This all goes to show that the WNBA is more than just a basketball league. The WNBA is made up of great women who are role models, business women, college graduates, and community leaders. They come from all walks of life and all have their own unique stories. WNBA players continually express the importance of education to the youth and they practice what they preach with the majority of players having college degrees. Perhaps one day WNBA players will make enough money where they don’t have to have a second career if they choose to but for now the WNBA is contributing to the success of their players on and off the court.

 

 

Korean League Update (Halfway Mark) 1/16

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The Blue Team Celebrates their two point win in the 2017 WKBL All-Star Game.

January 16, 2017 

There has been a slight shake up in the standings in the Korean League as Samsung Blue Minx have taken over the #2 spot. With the season a little more than halfway done, team’s records are still very close to one another. Second placed Samsung only has five more wins than last placed KB Stars, and three more wins that 5th placed Shinhan Bank. Just one game separates the second and third placed team and two games separate second and fourth. With that, outside of first placed Woori Bank, all teams have a chance to move into play-off contention during the second part of the season. The top three teams make the play-offs with the first placed team receiving a bye all the way to the finals. Here’s how teams have done since the New Year began;

 

Woori Bank; Woori Bank has continued their winning ways and are undefeated since the new year began. With a league best 21-1 record they are just four games away from clinching the regular season championship. Woori started the year with a blowout win against last placed KB Stars, winning 71-51. They then took down KEB Hana Bank 84-59. Playing the last game before the all-star break, Woori blew out Shinhan Bank 73-47. Woori Bank seems to get better as the season goes along. With the return of their starting point guard who has missed more than a month with the team, the only people who can get in the way of another WKBL championship is Woori Bank themselves.

Samsung; Since the start of 2017 Samsung are 3-0. They’ve defeated KDB 73-64, KEB 86-53, and KB Stars 66-62. Against KDB Samsung was lead by Alyssa Thomas who filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals in the win. In a surprising blowout game against then second placed KEB Hana, Natasha Howard took the lead scoring 18 points and pulling down 16 rebounds! In what was an evenly matched game that could have gone either way, Samsung held on in the end to win their third game in a row. KB were able to hold both Howard and Thomas to much lower stats than usual which gave them a fighting chance. However, Samsung used their home court advantage to sneak by in the end and move into second place in the standings.

KEB Hana; KEB Hana are 1-3 in 2017. They won their first game of the year against KB Stars but haven’t picked up another since; losing to Samsung, Woori Bank and Winnus KDB. They won 58-48 against KB with a balanced effort on offense and a big stance on defense where KB took 27 three pointers but only made 3. There wasn’t much fight in KEB Hana when they faced Samsung on the road losing 86-53. Thornton did all she could on the boards with 16 but Samsung had four players score in double figures to Hana’s two. Hana Bank got blown out again against first placed Woori Bank losing 59-84 at home. Woori Bank had five players score in double figures which Hana again only had two players score in double figures. Their last loss came at the hands of fourth placed KDB. Losing a closer game at home 80-83. A close game throughout, Thornton and Christmas went to battle for their teams. In the end Christmas got more help from her teammates to pull out the win and are now only one game out of playoff contention.

Winnus KDB; KDB has moved up in the standings and are now just one game out of the playoffs heading into the all-star break. Going 2-2 since the new year KDB is back to playing more confidence. This first loss came at the hands of Samsung 64-73. Christmas had 17 and 9 but didn’t get much help from the rest of her teammates. They got back on track against Shinhan winning 67-63 at home. After being up by 13 to enter the fourth, Shinhan Bank were close to making a comeback winning the quarter 21-12. However, it was a little too late as KDB hung on for the win. This time around they weren’t so lucky against Shinhan as they lost 62-71 on the road. Despite the best efforts of Christmas who finished with 20 points and 8 rebounds, they just couldn’t overcome the balanced attack from Shinhan. Their last game before the break needed overtime to decide its winner. KDB came out on top against KEB 83-80 and are now just one game behind KEB for the final playoff spot.

Shinhan Bank; Shinhan Bank has fallen behind again and sit in last place in the standings with a 8-14 record. Even still, they are only two games outside of a playoff spot. Shinhan Bank are 1-2 since the start of the new year. Their first loss came at the hands of Winnus KDB 67-63. Williams but up big numbers scoring 24 points in the loss. Shinhan then faced KDB yet again but this time the results were different. Shinhan won 62-71 as they used their home court to their advantage. Playing in the last game before the All-Star break Shinhan faced first placed Woori on the road. Shinhan must have already prepared for break as they didn’t put up a fight losing 73-47.

KB Stars;  0-3 since the New Year, KB has been stuck on 6 wins for quite some time. They are currently in last place in the standings and haven’t gotten much better since making a foreigner change to their roster. KB lost to KEB 48-58, to Woori 51-71 and to Samsung 66-62. Pierson has done as much as she can scoring in double figures in all three games but they continue to fall short. Their closest game against Samsung was a battle but Samsung’s balanced attack overwhelmed the visitors. Surprisingly, KB hasn’t been getting the usual production from the domestic players. Outside of Gang Aejeong, there hasn’t been a huge contribution from players that normally produce. KB is also going through a difficult time as one of their best players decided to quit the team last week. It is not known why she decided to leave the team but there is speculation that she was unhappy with her role on the team and the pressure put on by the coaching staff.  Although they are at the bottom of the standings they are still not out of making the playoffs if they go on a run. 

Standings;

  1. Woori Bank 21-1
  2. Samsung 11-10
  3. KEB Hana 10-12
  4. Winnus KDB 9-12
  5. Shinhan Bank 8-14
  6. KB Stars 6-15

2017 WNBA Free Agency Part 2!

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January 14, 2016

WNBA Free Agency begins on January 15th when teams are able to reach out to players they are interested in signing. Players will not be able to sign actual contracts until February 1st. *This list may be subject to change*

  • An RFA Restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain her by matching the terms of that offer. The original team is said to have the “right of first refusal.”
  • An UFA Unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any team.
  • Cored  If a team “cores” a player it guarantees that player at least a one-year offer at the league’s maximum salary, but blocks her from negotiating or signing with any other team.

 

Unrestricted Free Agents

Mistie Bass (Phoenix Mercury)

Alana Beard (LA Sparks)

Essence Carson (LA Sparks)

Erika de Souza (Chicago Sky)

Markeisha Gatling (Atlanta Dream)

Whitney Knight (San Antonio Stars)

Erlana Larkins (Indiana Fever)

Janel McCarville (Minnesota Lynx)

Leilani Mitchell (Washington Mystics)

Plenette Pierson (Dallas Wings)

Asia Taylor (Connecticut Sun)

Jasmine Thomas (Connecticut Sun)

Kristi Toliver (LA Sparks)

Ann Wauters (LA Sparks)

Monica Wright (Seattle Storm)

 

Restricted Free Agents;

Kayla Alexander (San Antonio Stars)

Alex Bentley (Connecticut Sun)

Kelsey Bone (Phoenix Mercury)

Layshia Clarendon (Atlanta Dream)

Kelly Faris (Connecticut Sun)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)

Tayler Hill (Washington Mystics)

Sugar Rogers (New York Liberty)

Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky)

Sandrine Gruda (LA Sparks)

Kayla Pedersen (Connecticut Sun)

Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (Washington Mystics)

Krystal Thomas (Seattle Storm)

Jeanette Pohlen (Indiana Fever)

 

Core Players

Dewanna Bonner

Crystal Langhorne

Camille Little

Angel McCoughtry

Tanisha Wright

2017 WNBA Free Agency Part 1

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January 7, 2016

With free agency set to begin on January 15th there seems to be a lot of speculation that many changes are likely to occur. These are the feelings we all have almost every year at the start of Free Agency, but this year may be different. It all started with Elena Delle Donne making her desire to leave the Chicago Sky publicly known. More recently, after hearing trade rumors, Angel McCoughtry put that to rest when she released a statement that she would be taking the 2017 WNBA season because she has “played a continuous year-round schedule with no off-season…that has taken its toll both mentally and physically.” Players and their agents will be able to be in contact with teams beginning on the 15th but will not be able to sign contracts until the first of February.

  • An RFA Restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain her by matching the terms of that offer. The original team is said to have the “right of first refusal.”
  • An UFA Unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any team.

Here is the list of current RFA;

Kayla Alexander (San Antonio Stars)

Alex Bentley (Connecticut Sun)

Kelsey Bone (Phoenix Mercury)

Layshia Clarendon (Atlanta Dream)

Kelly Faris (Connecticut Sun)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)

Tayler Hill (Washington Mystics)

Sugar Rogers (New York Liberty)

 

Korean League Dec 25-Dec 31 (Round 4)

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Samsung is currently in third place in the standings.

To close out the year teams are still fighting for position in the standings. With teams being separated by just one and two games every game is important. Outside of Woori Bank, who are currently in first place with a 18-1 record, all other teams have a chance to move up with every game won. Second placed KEB Hana have hit a rough patch as they have lost their last two games. On Christmas Day KEB lost to KDB on the road. Karima Christmas was unstoppable as she led her team with 27 points in the win. KEB then faced first placed Woori Bank who took no chances and beat them by more than 20 points on their home floor. KB Stars have found their way back to the bottom of the standings after going 0-2 in their last two outings. First losing a close one to Samsung on the road where Natasha Howard had a season high 30 points as she led her team to a much needed victory. KB then found themselves matched up against KDB who were in last place before winning their last two games. Despite a big game from Pierson, they still came up short and thus switched places in the standings. Woori continued their winning ways as they dismantled Shinhan Bank in the last game of 2016.

December 31, 2016 Shinhan Bank vs. Woori Bank 57-75  SHI Williams (25 min) 11 pts 7 rebs Vaioletama (14 min) 6 pts 4 rebs WOO Currie (11 min) 8 pts 3 rebs Jones (28 min) 17 pts 19 rebs

December 30, 2016 Winnus KDB vs. KB Stars 70-66 KDB Christmas (35 min) 14 pts 14 rebs Hawkins (9 min) 3 pts 2 rebs KB Pierson (39 min) 20 pts 6 rebs Braxton (5 min) 3 rebs

December 29, 2016 Shinhan Bank vs. Samsung 67-70 SHI Williams (21 min) 13 pts 15 rebs Vaioletama (18 min) 1 pt 4 reb SAM Thomas (13 min) 4 pts 8 rebs Howard (26 min) 23 pts 6 rebs 3 asts

December 28, 2016 KEB Hana vs. Woori Bank 40-66 KEB Thornton (22 min) 7 pts 12 rebs Achonwa (17 min) 8 pts 4 rebs  WOO Currie (10 min) 8 pts 8 rebs Jones (29 min) 10 pts 18 rebs

December 26, 2016 Samsung vs. KB Stars 75-70 SAM Thomas (13 min) 9 pts 5 rebs Howard (26 min) 30 pts 8 rebs 6 stls KB Pierson (34 min) 25 pts 12 rebs 6 ast Braxton (5 min)

December 25, 2016 Winnus KDB vs. KEB Hana 91-83 KDB Christmas (25 min) 27 pts 4 rebs 4 ast Hawkins (14 min) 10 pts 2 rebs KEB Thornton (12 min) 9 pts 2 rebs Achonwa (27 min) 16 pts 6 rebs 3 ast

Standings; 

  1. Woori Bank 18-1
  2. KEB Hana 9-9
  3. Samsung 9-10
  4. Shinhan 7-12
  5. Winnus KDB 7-12
  6. KB Stars 6-12