With 1 minute and 52 seconds left in the game, Park Ji-hyun finally stepped onto the court she had dreamed of. Wearing the Los Angeles Sparks uniform, she made her WNBA debut in the 2026 regular-season opener against the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on May 11 (local time).
Although her playing time was brief and she did not record any points, she was active on the floor, attempting one two-point shot. With this appearance, Park became the third South Korean player to play in an official WNBA game, following Jung Sun-min (2003) and Park Ji-su (2018).
Park was selected first overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft by Asan Woori Bank of the Korean league. After the 2023-2024 season, she became a free agent and pursued opportunities abroad. She gained experience in Australia, New Zealand, and Spain before signing a rookie-scale contract with the Los Angeles Sparks in April, earning a spot on the opening-day roster after fierce competition. On this day, she finally realized her dream of making her debut in the premier women’s basketball league.
However, the Sparks fell to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, losing 78-105.
