Korean Park Ji-hyun joins new int'l basketball league
Aicha Coulibaly of the Chicago Sky, left, battles with Park Ji-hyun #6 of the Los Angeles Sparks during the first half at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, July 17, in this Getty Images photo. AFP-Yonhap
Korean national team fixture and current Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Park Ji-hyun has joined a startup international basketball league.
Project B announced its signing of Park on Tuesday, while also unveiling plans to host training camp in Seoul in January next year ahead of its inaugural season.
"The decision to begin this chapter in Seoul reflects Project B's long-term commitment to Korea and its broader belief in Asia as a critical center of basketball's global future," said Geoff Prentice, co-founder and CEO of Project B, in a press release. "We are proud to have the very best Korean players alongside the best players from around the world, bringing global talent together in a country with such a deep passion for the game."
Project B is the new global league founded by Prentice and Grady Burnett, a former Google and Facebook executive. It is creating separate women's and men's leagues, with six teams per circuit featuring 11 players each.
Former WNBA star Alana Beard is Project B's chief basketball officer, while former National Basketball Association MVP Russell Westbrook joined as chief strategy officer following his recent retirement.
National Football League legend Steve Young and tennis great Novak Djokovic are among Project B's investors and advisers.
Several other WNBA players have already committed to Project B, including Nneka Ogwumike, Park's teammate with the Los Angeles Sparks, and Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas.
Project B plans to offer its female players more money than the WNBA and also give them equity in the league. Its inaugural season is set to run from January to April 2027, avoiding the May-October WNBA window.
The Project B season will be played in tournaments throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. Valencia in Spain and the Japanese capital of Tokyo have been confirmed as tournament hosts.
Project B said Park Hyatt Seoul in Gangnam, southern Seoul, will host its training camp from Jan. 6 to 12, with players, coaches and basketball officials on the major business and cultural district.
"To have Project B bring training camp to Seoul makes this moment even more special for me," Park said in the Project B statement. "Korea is home, and I am incredibly proud that my teammates from around the world will have the opportunity to experience the energy, culture and passion for basketball here. I can't wait to welcome everyone to Seoul to begin this journey together."
By joining the Sparks ahead of this season, Park became just the third Korean player ever to play in the WNBA. A former first overall pick in the Women's Korean Basketball League, Park quickly emerged as one of the country's top players for Asan Woori Bank, winning the Rookie of the Year award in the 2018-19 season and helping her team to three championships.
Park spent time in pro leagues in Australia, New Zealand and Spain before taking her talent to the WNBA.
"Ji-hyun has sought out the highest levels of competition around the world and continued to elevate her game everywhere she has played," Beard said. "She is a tremendous talent, an exceptional representative of Korean basketball and exactly the kind of player we want helping build Project B. Seoul is one of the world's great cultural capitals, with an incredible basketball community and an energy that reaches far beyond sport. Bringing our players here ... gives us the opportunity to build something special together while connecting with the city and its culture."