Alyssa Thomas Joins Project B: WNBA Star Makes the Leap to the New League
WNBA standout Alyssa Thomas, an MVP award finalist, has become the second player to join Project B, the new women’s basketball league expected to begin in Europe and Asia in November 2026. The Phoenix Mercury star announced her decision via social media, a week after Nneka Ogwumike revealed her intention to play in the new league, which offers players high salaries and equity participation.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 (1.88 meters) forward spent her first 11 seasons with the Connecticut Sun, leading them to the WNBA Finals twice and earning five All-Star selections. The 33-year-old player has played abroad in previous offseasons, before joining Unrivaled for its inaugural season last year. Thomas will return this January to the 3-on-3 league, which also features many prominent WNBA players. Project B and Unrivaled will have overlapping dates in the future. Project B will have 66 players divided into six teams. Each player will receive a higher salary than those currently offered by the WNBA. They are also expected to be higher than those of Unrivaled. While financial details haven’t been disclosed, the potential for more lucrative compensation comes at an important time for women’s professional basketball. As interest in the sport has soared in recent years, the WNBA and the players’ union are immersed in tense negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, with much of the dispute centered on salaries and revenue distribution. Project B plans to play its inaugural season until April 2027. This would not interfere with the typical WNBA schedule.“Alyssa is the type of player and person around whom a team is built,” stated Alana Beard, Project B’s basketball operations director. “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 represents.”
Alana Beard, Director of Basketball Operations of Project B
