Another new women’s basketball league has emerged, and it could shake up the WNBA.
The WNBA is facing a fresh challenge after a new global basketball league, named Project B, announced its intentions to host five-on-five basketball tournaments across Asia, Europe and Latin America beginning in November 2026.
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Caitlin Clark is one of many WNBA stars who are being offered contractsCredit: Getty
Project B will become the fourth major player in women’s basketball, joining the WNBA, EuroLeague and Unrivaled.
This new league is founded by ex-Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype cofounder Geoff Prentice.
And their pair have already announced that it has signed Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike as their first player.
The league plans to begin the tournament with six teams of 11 players.
The plan to play games across several continents and countries is based on mimicking other sports like auto racing, golf and tennis.
According to reports, several WNBA players have already agreed deals to play in the league, and there is an aim to attract some of its biggest stars, with the likes of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark being touted.
Furthermore, Front Office Sports has reported that players are being offered seven-figure salaries, which start at $2 million annually.
With some multi-year deals reaching eight figures and players are being offered equity in the league.
Is this a threat to the WNBA?
Firstly, the league does not cross over with the WNBA calendar so players could compete in both competitions if they wish.
However, that is not to say it cannot become an indirect threat.
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It doesn’t seem likely that Caitlin Clark will play in any off-season league ahead of the 2026 WNBA seasonCredit: GETTY
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Caitlin Clark has missed most of the WNBA campaign due to injury this seasonCredit: GETTY
The league is five-on-five, so it represents a more established form of basketball, unlike its fellow off-season league, Unrivaled, which is a three-on-three league.
Furthermore, its huge salaries, which stump contracts in the WNBA, mean that players could skip the WNBA season.
And while that may sound like a stretch, it isn’t.
Diana Taurasi skipped the 2015 WNBA season after earning $1.5 million with Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg in the off-season.
At the time, she earned $107,000 per year in the WNBA.
It is worth noting that the WNBA and its player union are currently engaged in Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
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This emergence of a new league comes amid the recent public fallout between Engelbert and her playersCredit: Getty
Such discussions took a bitter twist when Napheesa Collier launched a scathing attack on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“I have the utmost respect for Napheesa and every single player in our league,” Engelbert said in response to criticims of her.
“They are at the center of everything we do. I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league and me, personally, do not care about them or listen to them. And if the players in the W don’t feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better and I have to do better.”
The union and the WNBA entered into a 30-day extension after they couldn’t agree on a deal by the Oct.30 deadline.
Project B vs Unrivaled
Project B is also backed by some huge stars.
Its investor group includes tennis stars like Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens, but also several WNBA champions in Alana Beard and Candace Parker.
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Djokovic is one of many stars across several sports backing the new leagueCredit: Getty
“We’re paying multiples higher than is available right now in the world of women’s sports,” founder Burnett told FOS last month.
“We are paying the highest salaries and equity packages in women’s team sports, and this will be some of the best players in the world. We want this to be incredible basketball.”
Unrivaled paid its players an average salary of $220,000 in its inaugural season earlier this year, and it will face a direct threat from Project B, since their competitions overlap.
“We’re confident with what we’ve built in collaboration with our athletes, partners, and investors,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement to FOS.
Meanwhile, the WNBA’s current supermax is $249,244, with the lowest-paid players earning $80,000 annually.
It looks like women’s basketball is in for another shakeup.
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