Shocking Exit: What Drove FLOWLISH GUNMA.EXE’s Star Player Shirasaya Ikuri to Abandon the W League
Women’s Basketball Players Find New Opportunities in 3×3 Stage
Compared to the men’s basketball world, where many players turn to coaching, there are many cases of women’s players who play in the W League fading out after retirement. While there are differences in how men and women think about the so-called second career, the size of the reception space may also be a factor, with the B League having 55 clubs and the W League having 14 clubs, even when comparing only the top leagues.
Female players tend to retire early, and the current situation is that they often disappear from the public eye just when fans were expecting them to do well. However, the 3×3 stage is now available, and it is a blessing for both players and fans. More and more players who have left the W League or the amateur league are moving to new stages in search of playing opportunities.
Shirasaya Ikuri, who played for Hitachi High-Tech Cougars for seven seasons, has been showing glimpses of her character on her team and her own social media for some time now. However, her presence became widely known when she made her first appearance in the W League All-Star game in the 2022-23 season, and attention was sure to be growing on her future performance.
Ikuri announced her retirement from the W League at last season’s All-Star game. It must have been a surprise for fans, but there was a reason behind it. “I discussed it with my company in February and it was decided. I was actually scheduled to have surgery for my bite alignment in April, but the only available date was June, so I had to decide whether to postpone it for a year or quit now.”
Ikuri also announced it on her SNS account: “Bite adjustment surgery” was essential to resolve a long-standing issue, but because of that, she was unable to join the team’s start and it also resulted in her putting an end to her career in the W League. The same sense of incompleteness that fans would have felt was also felt by her, and she commented that leaving the W League at this time was ”a shame.”
However, shortly after retiring from the W League, Ikuri was back on the court. She made her first appearance as a member of FLOWLISH GUNMA in the opening round of 3XS (Tricross) on July 27th, and also participated in the 3×3 JAPAN TOUR EXTREME on September 14th with the same team. “I wanted to do a bit more, to show that I can still do it.” She added that in addition to the 3×3 format, the five-a-side format is also continued in club teams and the National Athletic Meet adult women’s team.
The reason Ikuri started 3×3 was because of an invitation from FLOWLISH. The person who approached her was Takahashi Fuyuko, who was the same age as her and had known her since they had played against each other in high school and college. Takahashi learned of Ikuri’s retirement from the W League at a time when she would not be able to register as a player for 3×3.EXE PREMIER, but she was able to participate in other matches, so she decided to “I think I can create momentum, too, but she’s on a different level (laughs). Our team values the emotional aspect the most, so I have high expectations that she will fit in there.”