Amid the ongoing conversations and controversies surrounding the WNBA CBA negotiations, star player Sophie Cunningham is joining a new startup basketball league, Project B.
The league is gearing up for a 2026 fall launch, and it will feature men's and women's basketball. Front Office Sports reports that Cunningham has committed to playing in the league, along with other WNBA stars like Kelsey Mitchell, Alyssa Thomas, Nneka Ogwumike, and Jonquel Jones.
Additionally, four more women's players have committed. Kamilla Cardoso, Jewell Lloyd, Janelle Salaun, and Li Meng will also play.
Cunningham appears psyched up for the league. She responded to Front Office Sports' post on X, formerly Twitter, by saying, “unlimited Arby’s for life amirite?”
The 2025 Indiana Fever star has been vocal amid the WNBA CBA negotiations. In November 2025, Cunningham gave a bleak update on the negotiations. “There's really not a lot to talk about … on [the players'] end until there's a new CBA. And I think that's how it is across the league,” she said.
How much is WNBA star Sophie Cunningham being paid to be in Project B startup league?
While Cunningham's salary has not been reported, Front Office Sports' report notes that Project B is attracting attention with “annual salaries over $2 million.”
This is a lot more than the WNBA's max contracts, which paid less than $300,000 in 2024. The salaries are a big point of contingency in the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations. In the latest proposal, the maximum salaries have increased to more than $1 million.
Originally, the WNBA CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2025. However, it was extended to Nov. 30, 2025. With just a few days left, it remains unclear how they will respond to the Project B developments.
Luckily for the players, the Project B season will not interfere with the WNBA season. It will run from November 2026 to April 2027.
