SHENZHEN (China) - Choi Yeseul has long been a fan of Park Jihyun and she is just in awe of how far the Korean star has gone in her career at a young age.
The 24-year-old Park has been a staple of the national team in the Women's World Cup and Olympic Games, has won medals in the Asian Games, and has fulfilled multiple tour of duties in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup, too, as she's become a vital part of the program after being a youth squad mainstay.
It's no wonder why Korea's up-and-coming hooper Choi looks up to her senior so much.
Park is having a solid pro career as well. The no. 1 pick of the 2018 Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) Draft, who eventually won Rookie of the Year honors, has flown to Australia's NBL1 last May by signing with the Bankstown Bruins.
"I think she is still young, but looks like she carries a lot of responsibility," said Choi. "Also she is tall, but she shows a variety of plays that was impressive to me."
Park has heavily influenced the 18-year-old and the latter hopes to walk the same path. In fact, she's planning to declare herself eligible for next year's Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) Draft.
"Definitely, becoming a first-round pick is my goal," offered the Chuncheon Girls High School forward. "That is why I want to go to the semi-final of the KSSBF (Korea Secondary School Basketball Federation) league."
Choi's decision to go pro early, though, isn't solely about realizing a dream. It is also her way of giving back to those who have supported her from day one, most especially her father, who, by his lonesome, raised her and her two sisters.
Her older siblings have helped shape her into the player she's become, too. Both of them played college ball, and so Choi never fails to receive advice and whatnot.
"All of my family do their best for my basketball career, " said Choi, who played - and made heads turn - in the Basketball Without Borders camp in 2023.
"I have two older sisters who were basketball players before. They always watch my games and give me feedback, and it helps a lot," she furthered.
That's why as early as now, Choi is making the best out of the opportunities that come her way, like being called up for national team duties in the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup - a stint that was a long time coming for her.
"I've always wanted to be with the Korean national team. I had a chance to be on the U16 national team but I felt that I didn’t prepare well at that time," she said.
She did show how much she geared up for this chance. Korea began their campaign with a 75-63 victory over Chinese Taipei at the Longhua Cultural and Sports Center in this sprawling Chinese city and Choi herself starred in it.
There, she made 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, 10 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocks on her way to tallying a game-high efficiency of 28.
"After that, I did my best to be on the Korean national team and it made good results like now," said Choi, who did all that in 25 minutes off the bench.
It's actually her first time playing with a different team since she's always been with her HS team, but it didn't take her long to find her niche.
"I haven’t been with another team aside from my school team. So everything was a first for me, such as training with new coaches and new players," said Choi.
"All of the players here are very good players, so it was hard to me to find my position at first. But now, I think it will be a good experience for me," she added.
Now, it will be all about soaking in the entire experience, which should bode well for her aspirations of going into the next level and embracing bigger responsibilities - just like how her role model in Park has done in her growing career.
"After graduation, I need to adjust to new experiences, like being in a professional team. This experience will help a lot," she said of the ongoing U18 competitions. "I felt different physically and played differently here, so it will be helpful to me."
Of course, she's hoping, too, that the team, as a whole, would benefit in this stint. "These days, lots of people think Team Korea is not strong," she said.
"But like today, we showed that we can play very well together, even though others think otherwise. After this tournament, I hope everybody can believe that Korea is a strong team which can win big against other teams," Choi added.
FIBA