Alyssa Thomas and Nneka Ogwumike have joined Project B, a Saudi-funded women’s league promising massive paydays and equity stakes. Is this empowerment—or a major threat to the WNBA’s future?Alyssa Thomas just made a move that could shake the foundation of women’s basketball. The Connecticut Sun star has officially signed with Project B, a new Saudi-backed women’s basketball league promising huge salaries, global exposure, and ownership equity for players.
Thomas becomes the second major WNBA name to commit, joining Nneka Ogwumike, and together, they’re signaling that the future of women’s basketball might no longer belong exclusively to the WNBA.
Project B, backed by high-profile investors including Candace Parker and led by former WNBA star Alana Beard, plans to launch in November 2026 with an ambitious 11-week global schedule. Players won’t just be employees—they’ll be stakeholders. That’s a direct challenge to the WNBA’s traditional structure, where player revenue shares have been a long-standing point of contention.
But here’s the controversy: Project B’s funding comes from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—the same financial engine that launched LIV Golf and disrupted the PGA Tour. For some, that raises ethical concerns about human rights and sportswashing. For others, it’s simply business—and long-overdue financial respect for women athletes.
At 34, Thomas is nearing the veteran stage of her career, but her move sends a clear message: women deserve more than gratitude and hashtags. They deserve power. The question now is whether younger stars like Caitlin Clark or A’ja Wilson will follow the money—or stay loyal to the WNBA brand that built them.
Either way, the tension is rising. With Project B and Unrivaled both offering offseason opportunities and serious paydays, the WNBA suddenly has competition it can’t ignore. The balance of power in women’s basketball is shifting—and Alyssa Thomas may have just lit Alyssa Thomas, Project B league, Nneka Ogwumike, Saudi-backed league, WNBA offseason, women’s basketball, Candace Parker, Alana Beard, Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, LIV Golf comparison, WNBA salaries, WNBA controversy
the match.
