WNBA: Another new, alternative professional league is in the works

With rumblings of the potential of a WNBA lockout growing louder, could a new, international women’s professional basketball league become a viable alternative for the sport’s top stars?

It is called Project B, an unofficially-named Formula 1- and LIV Golf-inspired pro women’s 5-on-5 league that will feature six 11-player teams and will play seven two-week tournaments in major cities in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The league plans to debut in the fall of 2026, running from November through April, meaning it would not conflict with the current WNBA calendar, but would overlap with Unrivaled.

Originally, Project B grabbed headlines due to it’s men’s professional basketball ambitions, as LeBron James’ business partner Maverick Carter was an advisor. It recently was reported that Carter is no longer involved in the project, and that the effort to start an international 5-on-5 men’s league has been put on hold. The establishment of the women’s league, however, is proceeding, led by Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett.

Investors include prominent athletes, namely former WNBA stars Candace Parker, Lauren Jackson and Alana Beard. Beard, who was part of an unsuccessful bid that sought to bring a WNBA expansion team to Oakland, is closely involved with the initiative as a league co-founder and chief basketball officer.

Players—not commissioners, founders, investors, general managers or coaches—make leagues. And Project B appears confident that the players will come. According The Athletic, Project B “has already begun negotiating with some WNBA stars,” with Burnett confirming that WNBA players have already signed. The promise of high salaries and equity in the league suggests the venture should, at least, spark more than mild interest from additional players.

Burnett told Front Office Sports, “We’re paying multiples higher than is available right now in the world of women’s sports. 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.”

Speaking to FOS, Beard explained, “The players are our partners, they’re one of our largest stakeholders. They are creating value, and getting paid for that value.” She further emphasized, “This is not a gimmick. We’re playing five-on-five, we’re playing elite basketball. We want the best of the best playing in our league. That’s a full stop.”

The moment is ripe for Project B to become more than a theoretical league that promises a lot and delivers a little. If the league can gain the trust of players, it could benefit by becoming of powerful point of leverage in the already tense and teetering CBA negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA.

In combination with Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, as well as longstanding overseas opportunities with European clubs that compete in EuroLeague Women and EuroCup Women, Project B can empower WNBA players to stand strong in their negotiations with WNBA, knowing that there are a number of alternatives that not only are ready to fill a potential void, but also have already demonstrated a greater appreciation of players’ value as athletes, entertainers and people.

Burnett, however, does not see Project B as a direct competitor to the W, telling The Athletic:

We see this as something that will be helpful to lifting athletes across all sport and bringing more access and proximity to fans across the world. So does it put us in competition? Maybe. But I think we’re trying to do something that is additive to the sport and to the overall ecosystem. And we’ve got tremendous respect for the W and other leagues that are out there but we think there’s plenty of room for another offering.

The WNBA might not share that perspective. As noted by The Athletic, the league could seek an exclusivity clause in the next CBA. Possibly, the league could agree to a deal that cedes to the majority of players’ demands—as long as future contracts prevent players from participating in offseason leagues, something that is true of NBA standard player contracts.

At minimum, the dreams of Project B seem certain to add further churn and choppiness the changing, uncertain waters of women’s pro basketball.