After failing to qualify for the post-season for a year straight, 100 Thieves has qualified for the 2020 League of Legends Championship Spring Playoffs. When the dust of the tiebreakers at the end of the 2020 LCS Spring Split had settled, 100 Thieves earned itself the 3rd post-season seed. The team's 7-2 record in the second half of the split — 9-3 including tiebreakers — made up for a shaky start to the season. 1st seed Cloud9 chose 100 Thieves as its opponent in the first round of the playoffs. 

100 Thieves Top Laner Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho spoke to Inven Global's Nick Geracie to talk about securing 3rd place, his team's improvements throughout the split, and being set up to play against Cloud9 in the first round of the Spring Playoffs. 

Ssumday, congratulations on qualifying for the 2020 LCS Spring Playoffs. How do you feel about securing 3rd place?

I think our performance this season wasn't that great at first, but since we got better and better, we deserve 3rd place. However, it could be even better, so I'm not that satisfied.

There's room to improve, sure, but you have to admit that 100 Thieves' second half of the split has been pretty impressive. What did your team focus on in practice to improve throughout the split?

We focused a lot on trying to play together to synchronize what we are doing in-game. It's kind of hard to do, but we used a lot of time towards that, so we are getting better at it.

You had a very strong split individually. Did it take you some time to get used to playing in LCS again after spending the majority of last summer as a starter on 100 Thieves Academy?

Personally, I thought that I always performed well, even when I was starting in the Academy League, so I didn't think I would start playing better upon returning to the LCS roster or anything like that. 

This was 100 Thieves' Mid Laner Tommy "Ryoma" Le's first split in the LCS. How do you think he has grown as a player throughout this spring?

Ryoma is a LCS rookie, but he has experience in OCE. I think he's been learning a lot in-game since coming to North America. Personally, he's very friendly, so he's nice outside of the game as a friend, as well.

When you returned to the LCS roster for 2020, 100 Thieves Academy Support William "Stunt" Chen came along with you. How do you think Stunt has done in his first full split in the LCS? Do you think his skills have translated well to a starting position?

Stunt has spent a lot of time both in the LCS and in the Academy League, so he has a good amount of experience. We played against a lot of good players this split in LCS, so I think he's learned from that and improved a lot.

Speaking of good players, was there any other top laner in the LCS who stood out to you this split?

A strong team can be counted on to probably have a strong top laner...I'd say it was Eric "Licorice" Ritchie on Cloud9.

You'll be playing against Licorice and the rest of C9 in the first round of the 2020 LCS Spring Playoffs. Do you have any thoughts on that matchup? 

C9 lost far fewer times than we did. We have nothing to lose. We are the underdog in the matchup, so there is less pressure.

I can imagine that 100 Thieves is happy to be in the post-season, but what's the team's plan ahead of the match against C9?

Well, the Spring Split just ended, so we'll probably take a day off and then practice more until the Spring Playoffs.

Thank you so much for the interview, Ssumday. Is there anything you want to say to the 100 Thieves fans before the Spring Playoffs?

We are going to try and do our best, so keep cheering for us. Thank you!