Alyssa Thomas, WNBA star, joins the new Project B league

Alyssa Thomas Joins Project B, the New Women’s Basketball League

WNBA standout Alyssa Thomas, a finalist for the MVP award, has announced her joining Project B, a new women’s basketball league scheduled to launch in Europe and Asia in November 2026. Thomas becomes the second player to join this ambitious project. The Phoenix Mercury star made her decision public through social media, following in the footsteps of Nneka Ogwumike, who previously announced her intention to participate in this league that promises high salaries and equity participation for the players.

“Alyssa is the type of player and person around whom a team is built,” stated Alana Beard, basketball operations director of Project B. “Her leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism elevate everyone around her. As one of the most respected players in the world, she represents the new era of collaboration between players and global competition that Project B champions.”

Alana Beard, basketball operations director of Project B

Thomas led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals last season, before the team fell to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. The 6-foot-2-inch forward played her first 11 seasons with the Connecticut Sun, leading them to the WNBA Finals twice and earning five All-Star nominations. The 33-year-old player has played abroad during the off-seasons and participated in the inaugural season of Unrivaled last year. Thomas will return to this 3-on-3 league in January, which also features the participation of many outstanding WNBA players. Project B and Unrivaled will have overlapping dates in the future. The B Project will have 66 players divided into six teams. Each player will receive a salary higher than that currently offered by the WNBA, and it is expected that they will also be higher than those of Unrivaled. Although financial details have not been disclosed, the possibility of more lucrative compensation comes at a crucial time for women’s professional basketball. With the growing interest in the sport in recent years, the WNBA and the players’ union are in tense negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, where much of the dispute centers on salaries and revenue distribution. The B Project plans to contest its inaugural season until April 2027, which would not interfere with the usual WNBA schedule.