Kim Dan-bi wins WKBL MVP award for 2022-23 season

Kim Dan-bi poses for a photo after receiving the WKBL MVP award at an awards ceremony at the 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, western Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Kim Dan-bi of Asan Woori Bank Woori Won won the WKBL MVP award for 2022-23 season at an awards ceremony at the 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, western Seoul on Monday.

The 33-year-old small forward joined Woori Won ahead of the 2022-23 season as a free agent after playing 15 years at the Incheon Shinhan Bank S-Birds. She was one of the key players in the team throughout the season, helping the Asan side ride a 15 game winning-streak in the early days.

Kim played 30 games this season and recorded an average of 17.2 points per game, which ultimately led her side to regain the league title they last held in the 2020-21 season.

She was also a prominent player in her former team as she topped the all-star fan vote six times in a row from the 2016-17 season, but never won the MVP award.

“I’m happy that this day has come before I retire,” Kim was quoted as saying at the event.

Kim won four other WKBL season awards: Best defender, best shot-blocker, the Yoon Duk-joo Award for the best contributor and a spot in the season Best V.

The regular WKBL season ended last week, but Kim has some business still to do with the Woori Won as the playoffs for the WKBL Championship start Saturday.

The league winners are facing the S-Birds, who landed in the playoffs after finishing in fourth. The runner-up Busan BNK Sum will play third-place Yongin Samsung Life Blue Minx.

The two winning teams will then land in the championship, which will be played across five games.

The Woori Won and the S-Birds will face off at at Yi Sun-sin Icerink Gymnasium in Asan, South Chungcheong on Saturday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]