Park Ji-hyun Joins Project B as Global League Launches in Seoul
South Korean star Park Ji-hyun is set to add another chapter to her fast-rising career, signing on with the new international basketball venture Project B while continuing her stint with the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.
Her commitment was confirmed on Tuesday, alongside news that Seoul will host one of the league’s first major events — a high-profile training camp in early 2027.
Seoul Becomes Early Nerve Center
Project B will run its training camp from January 6 to 12, 2027, at the Park Hyatt Seoul in the Gangnam district. It will serve as an early showcase for the league’s ambitions, drawing players, coaches and league officials into one of Asia’s most dynamic basketball markets.
For Park, it means a rare chance to headline a global project on home soil before the league tips off. For Project B, it is a statement: this is not a U.S.-only sideshow. The center of gravity is deliberately shifting.
A New Kind of League
Founded by Jeff Prentice and Grady Burnett, a former Google and Facebook executive, Project B is building a structure that mirrors top-tier global competitions: separate women’s and men’s leagues, each with six teams and 11-player rosters.
The first season is slated for January through April 2027, carefully slotted outside the WNBA calendar, which runs from May to October. That timing opens the door for WNBA players to compete in both competitions without overlap.
Tournaments are planned across Asia, Europe and Latin America, with Valencia in Spain and Tokyo in Japan already locked in as host cities. The map is clear: this league wants to travel.
Money, Power and a Different Pitch to Players
Project B has made an aggressive play for talent. The league says it intends to pay female players more than the WNBA and, crucially, offer them an ownership stake in the competition itself.
That kind of model directly targets one of the long-running tensions in women’s basketball: top athletes often juggle multiple leagues overseas to supplement WNBA salaries. Project B is positioning itself not just as another stop on the circuit, but as a place where players can share in the long-term value they help create.
Some of the WNBA’s biggest names have already signed on. Park will be joined by her Sparks teammate Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury standout Alyssa Thomas, giving the new league immediate credibility and star power.
Park’s Growing Footprint
For South Korea, Park’s move is another milestone in a career built on breaking ground.
She became just the third South Korean player ever to reach the WNBA. Before that, she was the first overall pick in the Women’s Korean Basketball League draft and captured Rookie of the Year honors in the 2018–2019 season. With Asan Woori Bank, she helped deliver three championship titles, establishing herself as a dominant force domestically.
Her résumé already stretches well beyond Korea. Park has played professionally in Australia, New Zealand and Spain, gaining a breadth of experience that fits perfectly with Project B’s international blueprint.
Now she stands at the crossroads of two worlds — the established WNBA and a bold new global league that wants to redefine what women’s basketball can look like in the winter months.
If Project B delivers on its promises of higher pay, shared ownership and a truly international stage, Park Ji-hyun won’t just be one of its early stars. She’ll be one of the players who helped change the business of the women’s game.
