Park Ji-hyun, a center who currently plays in the WNBA and represents the Korean national team, has become the third Korean woman to appear in the league, after earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Women’s Korean Basketball League and playing professionally in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Her recent signing with Project B, a newly formed international women’s basketball circuit, marks a milestone for Korean basketball and signals the league’s intent to attract top talent worldwide.
Project B's Global Ambitions
Project B was founded by former basketball executives Geoff Prentice and Grady Burnett, and will open its inaugural season from January to April 2027, deliberately stepping outside the WNBA’s May‑October schedule. The league announced a training camp in Seoul running from January 6 to 12 2027, positioning the capital as the launch pad for a competition that will span Asia, Europe and Latin America, with confirmed stops in Valencia, Spain, and Tokyo, Japan.
Unlike the WNBA, Project B aims to deliver greater financial rewards and equity stakes to its female athletes, offering higher salaries and profit‑sharing arrangements that could reshape the economic landscape of women’s professional basketball. The league has tapped former WNBA star Alana Beard as chief basketball officer and NBA MVP Russell Westbrook as chief strategy officer to guide its competitive and commercial strategy.
Backed by high‑profile investors such as NFL legend Steve Young and tennis great Novak Djokovic, Project B has already secured commitments from other WNBA standouts including Nneka Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas. The global schedule will feature tournaments in multiple continents, positioning the league as a truly international platform for women’s hoops.
Park Ji-hyun expressed pride in bringing Project B to Seoul, noting Korea’s deep passion for basketball and the cultural relevance of the sport in the country. Her participation underscores the growing influence of Korean athletes on the world stage and hints at a broader push to elevate the sport’s profile beyond national borders.