Hwang Hyeon-jeong: Shooting her way a la Curry from PE classes to the world

AMMAN (Jordan) - Hwang Hyeon-jeong took a bit while to find her rhythm as Korea took on Syria in the FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship 2023 opener, Monday at the Prince Hamzah Sport Hall.

The 15-year-old forward only had 3 points to her name at the half, but it all changed when she nailed a triple barely two minutes into the third quarter.

It proved to be the one shot she needed to gain her confidence. She went on to sink five more three-pointers before the period ended, enabling her side to stay in cruise control.

The Koreans won, 91-58. Hwang herself led the way with a game-high 21 points, which she all garnered from beyond the arc - the team as a whole shot 19 treys.

 

"I usually score well when I have a good sense of shooting," said Hwang. "I put in a shot at the start of the third quarter, and I kept shooting confidently because I thought the sense of shooting was good."

Team Korea head coach Hu Man Dug was pleased as well with what he saw from the national youth team first-timer from Onyang Girls High School.

"As a shooter in Team Korea, I think she executed well," he offered. "Even though it was the first game of this tournament, the shooting conditions were good."

It was quite a debut for someone who just began playing the game a few years ago. While other hoopers picked up a basketball at such a young age, Hwang only started when she was 10 years old.

Little did she know that it would eventually bring her places, huge thanks to the discovery of her teacher during a physical education class.

"I played basketball for the first time when I was 10 years old. It was my first start when I was offered a scout by my teacher while taking a physical education class," said the 1.73 M (5'8") Hwang.

As soon as she became serious with it, Hwang dreamt of becoming a national team player. Fast forward to now, and she's living that dream.

"Hyun-jung was selected for the national team because I thought she could change the game when the game was difficult," offered Hu. "She had a quick move and good sense."

Not only is Hwang a part of Team Korea in Amman 2023, but she has shown flashes of becoming part of the program for years to come with her ability to knock down the 3.

"If she uses the screen well as a shooter, throws a three-point shot in various ways, and practices with increased accuracy, she will show infinite possibilities as a shooter," said the veteran bench tactician.

There shouldn't be any problem in Hwang's drive to become the best she could be, for she's inspired by no less than the greatest shooter that the game has ever seen.

Needless to say, she wants to be like him.

"I've liked Stephen Curry since I started playing basketball," she said. "I liked throwing three-pointers so much that I wanted to be a shooter like him."

"When I watched Curry's story on YouTube, it was about how Curry started basketball and became a good player, While watching the video, I thought, 'There's nothing I can't do with trying.'"

That kind of inspiration should definitely bode well for someone who's hoping to, one day, represent Korea in the seniors level.

For now, though, the primary focus is on realizing the goal of her batch, which is reaching the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2024.

"When I started playing basketball, I wanted to become a youth national player. Now, I'd like to get a ticket and go to the U17 World Cup with my teammates."

FIBA