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| © Provided by Variety |
By Stefanie Fogel, Variety
Kyoung Ey Molly “Avalla” Kim is joining the Overwatch
League’s Washington, D.C. team as an assistant coach, making her the
first woman coach in the professional esports organization.
Kim is a high-level “Overwatch” player who peaked at 78th rank on the Korean ladder, according to a press release.
She previously served as head coach of Frescia Gaming, finishing in the
top 16 in season one and qualifying for Contenders Trials Korea season
two. She also worked as an assistant coach with OpTic Academy and Meta
Bellum.
Mikael “mkL” Skjønhaug is also joining the D.C. team’s
coaching staff. He worked alongside Kim at OpTic Academy and was an
analyst for Last Night’s Leftovers in their playoff run. Before that, he
was a player and coach for European teams.
“I’m happy to have
Avalla and mkL join the coaching staff. They bring international
experience and a great work ethic. Together, we’re well on our way to
building the best coaching staff in the league,” said Washington, DC’s
team’s head coach Hyeong-seok “WizardHyeong” Kim.
Washington, D.C. is one of eight new teams recently added to the Overwatch League
ahead of the 2019 season. The others are Chengdu, Hangzhou, Toronto,
Vancouver, Paris, Atlanta, and Guangzhou. That brings the league’s total
roster up to 20.
The Overwatch League
has been criticized in the past for its lack of diversity, especially
after signing only one woman in its inaugural season. South Korean
player Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon joined the Shanghai Dragons as the first
female player in February. She’s one of only a few women competing in
esports at a professional level and is one of only three players left on
the Dragons team after its disastrous 0-40 debut.
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