{
  "id": 629480,
  "title": "A round-trip flight from Incheon to Los Angeles takes about 13 hours. It is a distance of approximately 9,500 kilometers.\n\nThat is the distance that Ji-Hyun Park, a 24-year-old women’s basketball player, travels every time she goes to play in the WNBA.\n\nPark, who plays for the Dallas Wings, is currently on a temporary leave from her team.\n\nShe returned to Korea to play in the 2023-24 season of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) for the Shinhan Bank team.\n\nIn an interview with a local reporter on the 26th, Park said, “The environment in the U.S. is very good. I can focus only on basketball.”\n\nShe continued, “I am very thankful. I want to play in the WNBA for a long time.”\n\nPark, who is 1.96 meters tall, was the first Korean player to be selected in the WNBA draft.\n\nShe was selected by the Dallas Wings with the 1st round 9th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.\n\nShe played 11 games in her rookie season, averaging 11.6 minutes per game.\n\nShe scored 4.0 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds.\n\nIn 7 games this season, Park averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game.\n\nThe WNBA season typically runs from May to September.\n\nThe Korean Basketball League season usually runs from October to March.\n\nPark will play in the Korean league until next month.\n\nShe will then return to the U.S. to prepare for the WNBA.\n\nShe said, “I will work hard to improve my skills during my time in Korea. I want to repay the Dallas Wings for giving me a chance.”\n\nShe added, “I want to show that I can play an active role in the WNBA.”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/wnba",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T02:21:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hankyoreh",
    "slug": "hankyoreh",
    "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/basketball/1272523.html"
  },
  "original_language": "ko",
  "account": null,
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}