Why Sparks are not focused on Team USA during FIBA World Cup

With the 2026 FIBA World Cup set to tip off this coming week, the Los Angeles Sparks have one lone representative in rookie wing Jihyun Park who will be suiting up for South Korea. Park joined the Sparks in training camp this year and was able to make the team’s final roster heading into the regular season.

As the year has progressed, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts has integrated her into the rotation as the team’s primary backup wing, supplanting fan favorite Kate Martin whom the team has since waived. Jihyun Park plays a starring role for the South Korea national team, a role she’ll reprise during the FIBA World Cup, before finishing out her WNBA rookie season with the Sparks.

For Roberts, the adjustment from international competition to the league has been a process for the rookie, but she’s steadily improving and the team will certainly be cheering her on in the coming weeks, albeit with a caveat.

“I think for her to continue doing what she’s doing and when she gets her opportunities, make the most of them,” Roberts said during her pregame press conference before the team’s game against the Washington Mystics last Friday. “She’s a smart player. I think she’s been fouling too much, she still needs to figure out the right distance for her to apply pressure without being in a position where it’s an easy foul call.

“But I think it’s a great experience for her. The World Cup, that’s a big deal. She’s our only representative, so we’re all gonna be cheering for her. And obviously USA, but I’m proud of her, I’m excited for her. She’s excited to do that.”

Coming into the Spark’s game against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, Park has appeared in 33 of the team’s 39 games to this point, at a little over nine minutes per game. She’s averaging 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds with splits of 39.4 percent shooting from the field, 27.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line.

Immediately following the Kelsey Plum trade at the beginning of August, Park played an impactful role in the Sparks’ road win against the Portland Fire contributing 12 points, two rebounds, four assists and one steal in a little over 18 minutes.

Park was originally WNBA Draft eligible in 2020, but went undrafted. In the years since then, she played in the Women’s Korean Basketball League (WKBL) and the NBL1, a partnership league between the NBL and Basketball New South Wales.

She signed a one-year contract with the Sparks and will be a reserved free agent in the offseason, giving the team exclusive negotiating rights.

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