Massive Project B Women's Basketball League Salary Reveal Turns Up Heat on WNBA

The staggering amount of money the new Project B women's basketball league is giving players will get the WNBA's attention.

Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) before the game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

On November 5, news broke that 10-time WNBA All-Star, 2016 WNBA MVP, 2016 WNBA champion, and current Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike has become the first known player to sign with Project B, which is a new global women's basketball league that's set to launch in the fall of 2026.

This announcement sent shockwaves throughout the rest of the league. And Ogwumike (who is also the President of the WNBA Players' Association (WNBPA) commemorated this signing to Project B with an Instagram post that was captioned, "A new chapter built on purpose, partnership, and possibility. Proud to join @projectb_global not just as a player, but as a partner and owner, to help shape the future of global sport.

There has been chatter in recent weeks about Project B (which is a 5-on-5 league that will feature six, 11-player teams and will take place during the WNBA offseason) potentially already having signed multiple active WNBA superstars. And Ogwumike's signing is proof of that.

Of course, the timing of Project B's arrival on scene is fascinating, given the ongoing negotiations between the WNBA players and the league office about a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is expected to pay players much greater salaries than they can get right now.

Insider Report Reveals Staggering Project B Salaries

The only way that Project B could ultimately compete with the WNBA (which seems to be their eventual aim) is if they can exceed their salaries. And a November 6 report from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports revealed that the league certainly isn't penny pinching when trying to attract the world's best women's basketball players.

Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) is pictured during a game against the Chicago Sky at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

"Multiple stars are being offered seven-figure salaries starting at $2 million annually, with their earnings for multiyear deals reaching eight figures. In addition, players will receive equity in the league, similar to Unrivaled," Costabile wrote in the article.

Project B is offering WNBA stars multi-million dollar salaries to play in the startup league, multiple sources told me.

So, what threat does the global league pose? And to whom? https://t.co/hTN1Twouby

— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) November 6, 2025

Project B is founded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype cofounder Geoff Prentice, and partnered with Sela, an entertainment company owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. And league leadership has made it no secret that they plan to pay a premium price for talent.

Not only do these multi-million dollar salaries put added pressure on the WNBA amid the CBA negotiations, but the fact that Ogwumike — who is the face of the WNBA players in terms of negotiating the new CBA — is the first person to go public with joining Project B adds another degree of pressure on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the rest of the league office.

As it stands, Project B is not a direct threat to the WNBA. But that doesn't mean this couldn't change very quickly in the future, depending on who decides to join and whether WNBA salaries land in the range players believe they deserve.