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Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas second WNBA player to join startup league Project B
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- Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas second WNBA player to join startup league Project B
Phoenix Mercury All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas is the latest WNBA All-Star to sign with Project B, a women's basketball startup league that is expected to tip off in Europe, Asia and Latin America in November 2026.
Project B announced Tuesday that Thomas will join the league as a "player," "partner" and "owner," emphasizing the league's pledge to offer unprecedented salaries and an equity stake in the startup. In a social media video shared on the league's platform, Thomas said she's "looking forward to joining Project B."
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Thomas is the second player to sign on with the startup league founded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice. Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike was the first.
Project B, which will be made up of six teams of 11, will be played on a traveling circuit, similar to F1 racing, golf and tennis. The league's main selling point is a promise to dish out salaries larger than the WNBA ($66,079- $249,244 per season) and Unrivaled ($220,000 per season). Front Office Sports reported that player deals will reach seven-figures and start at $2 million annually.
PROJECT B: Nneka Ogwumike signs to startup league, set to launch in 2026
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Project B is the latest basketball league created in addition to WNBA, following 3-on-3 Unrivaled which played its first season last winter. Like Unrivaled, Project B has put an emphasis on player compensation, which remains a point of contention as WNBA players continue to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA.
Thomas led the Mercury to the 2025 WNBA Finals in her first season in Phoenix after posting a league-high eight triple-doubles in the regular season. Thomas signed on to participate in the second season of Unrivaled, which tips off in January. She will be a member of the Laces.
According to ESPN , Project B season will run through April 2027 and will not overlap with the WNBA season.
Contributing: Heather Burns
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alyssa Thomas second WNBA player to join startup league Project B
