Project B announced on Tuesday that Phoenix Mercury forward and WNBA triple-double leader Alyssa Thomas would be joining the new global women’s basketball league.
What is Project B, the New Global Basketball League?
Thomas joins Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike as one of the first two players to sign with the startup league, which is set to begin in November 2026 and will run through April 2027. The season will take place across Asia, Europe, and Latin America from fall to spring, just weeks before the WNBA season begins.
“It’s not something that’s usually offered to us—and by ‘us’, I mean women athletes,” Ogwumike said on why she signed with Project B on a compensation package, via the Associated Press, Friday. “So, for there to be an entry level of equity across the board was eye-catching. It’s something that I stand for, obviously.”
According to Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, other WNBA players have already signed deals to participate in Project B. The new 5-on-5 league will feature six teams, each with 11 players on the roster.
However, the question remains: could the new global basketball league pose challenges and threats to the WNBA? That might be the case.
Additionally, stars are being offered seven-figure salaries starting at $2 million, with earnings for multiyear deals reaching up to eight figures. That’s far more than the salaries players receive from the WNBA under a supermax contract of about $ 250,000.
Project B Offers More Opportunities to Play in U.S, Earn High Salaries
Throughout the 2020s, WNBA players had more options to stay stateside and play in leagues such as Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled. Now there’s an additional option with Project B.
Previously, players had to travel overseas to earn more money in the offseason, participating in leagues such as EuroLeague Women and the WNBL in Australia.
In fact, former Phoenix Mercury legend and WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi missed the 2015 WNBA season to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, which reportedly paid her to sit out.
Just last week, Unrivaled released the rosters for all eight teams in the league for the upcoming season, which will begin in January. According to Costabile, players will receive equity in the league, particularly in Project B.
PROUD to announce @athomas_25 Player. Partner. Owner. 😎
— PROJECT B (@projectb_global) November 11, 2025
“I’m chasing purpose, not perfection. The real victory is what you leave behind for the next generation.” pic.twitter.com/AC7UWzK2BR
WNBA and Players’ Union Continue CBA Negotiations Amid Extension
With the CBA negotiations between the WNBA and the players’ union still ongoing, the outcome could be transformative for women’s basketball for years to come.
They recently agreed to a 30-day extension, just one day before the original deadline on Oct. 31.
One of the most important topics of discussion in the CBA is receiving higher pay and a greater revenue share. Fans at WNBA games were seen holding signs reading “Pay the players” and booing the league’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, back in October.
As interest and investment in women’s basketball grow, CBA negotiations, college women’s basketball, and U.S. offseason leagues, such as Project B, will play crucial roles in attracting new fans for years to come. What does the addition of Player B mean for the WNBA? Does this signal trouble in the negotiations, or are leagues like this meant to say?
