The world of women’s professional basketball is standing on the edge of a cliff, and a new, powerful force is threatening to push it over. A Saudi Arabian-funded basketball league, currently operating under the codename “Project B,” has emerged from the shadows with a seemingly infinite supply of cash and a singular, audacious goal: to sign the best female basketball players on the planet, and in doing so, potentially dismantle the WNBA’s decades-long dominance.
For years, the conversation around the WNBA has been dominated by debates over player salaries. While the league has seen unprecedented growth in popularity, thanks to a new generation of superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, the paychecks have not kept pace. Many of the league’s top players earn in the low six figures, a fraction of what their male counterparts in the NBA make. To supplement their income, a significant number of players spend their offseasons playing for teams in Europe and Asia, where the salaries are often much higher.
This long-standing dynamic has created the perfect opportunity for a well-funded competitor to strike, and Project B is not pulling any punches. The venture is the brainchild of former Google and Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Jeff Skoll, meaning it has both the technological savvy and the financial backing to be a serious threat.
According to reports, Project B has already begun aggressively negotiating with and signing current WNBA players, catching the American league at its most vulnerable moment. With the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) currently under renegotiation, a vast majority of its veteran players are free agents, making them prime targets. The offers being tabled are reportedly “multiples higher” than anything that currently exists in women’s professional sports, not just basketball.
Imagine a player like Paige Bueckers, who will earn less than $100,000 in her first few years under her WNBA rookie contract, being presented with an offer for $10 million or even $20 million. Or consider a star like Angel Reese being offered a staggering $50 million per year. These are the kinds of life-altering numbers that could force players to make a difficult choice between loyalty to their home league and a level of financial security they never dreamed possible.
The new league plans to feature six teams of eleven players each, competing in a series of two-week tournaments in cities across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Initially, its season will run from November through April, placing it in direct competition with other offseason leagues like Unrivaled. However, founder Grady Burnett has openly stated that they could eventually move their season to compete head-to-head with the WNBA, a move that would undoubtedly be seen as a declaration of war.
The ambition behind this project is immense. Legendary figures like Candace Parker and former NFL star Steve Young are reportedly already involved, lending the venture immediate credibility. At one point, even NBA superstar LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter were said to be spearheading the men’s side of the project, though they have since reportedly stepped away.
This new league poses an existential threat to not only the WNBA but also to newer domestic leagues like Unrivaled, which was founded on the principle of giving players a high-paying offseason option without having to travel overseas. The central question now facing the players is whether the astronomical salaries are worth spending six months of the year away from home.
For a player like Caitlin Clark, who has been vocal about her lifelong dream to play in and grow the WNBA, the decision would be particularly agonizing. While her loyalty to the American league is strong, turning down a potential offer of $50 million or more would be a difficult, if not impossible, choice for anyone.
The timing of this new league’s emergence could not be worse for the WNBA, as it struggles through messy CBA negotiations. The league wants to offer higher salaries in exchange for player exclusivity, but it simply cannot compete with the bottomless pockets of a Saudi-funded entity. As one analyst put it, how can a player making $150,000 in the WNBA possibly turn down an offer of $1.5 million or more?
The battle for the future of women’s basketball has officially begun. It is a battle that will be fought not on the court, but in boardrooms and contract negotiations. It’s a conflict that pits loyalty against life-changing wealth, and tradition against a new globalized future. The WNBA, for the first time in its history, is facing a rival with the power and the will to dethrone it. The coming months will determine whether the league can weather this storm, or if the landscape of women’s professional basketball is about to be changed forever.
