March 18, 2018
Woori Bank vs. KB Stars 63-57
The much anticipated WKBL Finals began on Saturday with first placed Wibee Woori Bank taking on second placed KB Stars. During the regular season KB took a 4-3 series lead over Woori. At the conclusion of the regular season Woori Bank replaced their foreign player Destiny Williams with Chicago Sky’s Amber Harris. Harris most recently played in the Chinese League which she finished in December.
After winning the semi-finals in three games, KB only had one day to rest before the finals began. Meanwhile, Woori were able to await their opponent as the first placed team automatically advances to the finals. In a sold out gym, where KB fans seemed to outnumber the home fans, the game did not disappoint. Woori Bank came out playing well, it was obvious that they were more fresh than KB as they held onto a six point lead after the first period. KB kept pace with the hosts in the second and cut the lead to four at the half.
Things picked up in the third where both foreign players are allowed to play at the same time. KB came out strong led by Monique Currie who led her team in scoring for the night with 18 points. At one point KB took the lead 40-37 with four minutes left in the third but Woori quickly went on a 9 to 2 run to recapture the lead heading into the fourth.
With a four point lead heading into the fourth, Woori were able to keep KB at a short distance. For every basket KB made, Woori had an answer. They were able to take advantage of KB’s turnovers and took a ten point lead with four minutes remaining in the game. KB fought back and cut the lead to three with less than two minutes to play but were unable to complete the upset. Natalie Achonwa was excellent for the winners as she finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Game two will be played in Asan, Woori’s home gym, on Monday the 19th. Check out some action shots from the game here.