The WNBA’s attempt to meet the WNBPA’s demands failed miserably as many players and top authorities thrashed the ‘proposal’ and intensified their criticism of the league. The vice president of the WNBPA, Napheesa Collier, led the charge against CBA inequity amid 2025 record popularity. Although President Nneka Ogwumike showed her support for the Lynx forward, her decision to sign with direct rival Project raised many concerns.
According to reports, she will earn significantly more than the supermax salary in the WNBA and also receive equity from the league. Well, the package and player signing seem pretty alarming for the WNBA.
WNBA Should Be Worried About Nneka Ogwumike’s Project B Move
WNBA fans lash out at Nneka Ogwumike for Project B signing and call it ‘unprofessional. Yet no one could deny the fact that this could be a ‘start’ of a big collapse. Amid a recent surge in popularity, the WNBA announced new franchises to expand its wings. But the CBA standoff put a question mark over its next season.
Enter ‘Project B’, the new league in a 5-on-5 format that will start in the fall of 2026. Interestingly, the league is already providing what the WNBA players are asking for from the league: better pay and revenue sharing. The big step towards its announcement was the signing of a prominent WNBA player, and it was none other than the WNBPA president, Nneka Ogwumike.
Project B — a new global women’s basketball league launching in 2026 — is offering players $2M+ per year, with multiyear deals worth 8 figures and equity stakes, per @FOS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 6, 2025
That’s far above the WNBA’s current $249K supermax 😳
Seattle Storm star and WNBPA president Nneka… pic.twitter.com/Xl9p86wYFM
The move to take the president as the first player highlights their intention to attract more players from the association. Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart already work together in a 3-on-3 league, the Unrivaled. Interestingly, the intentions were different when the league started, and Project B is looking to compete with the WNBA by recruiting its top players.
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In this manner, the league will not only have a direct competitor but also lose its influential stars, the fans who support those players, and may even see a drop in its competitive quality, which impacts the overall fan experience. In that manner, the Storm forward’s move is a statement move by Project B.
Nneka Ogwumike Opened Up On Her Decision To Join Project B
Discussing the reasons for joining the new project, the veteran forward once again pointed to the CBA’s failure. In an interview with The Associated Press, the 35-year-old talked about the reasons.
“It’s not something that’s usually offered to us, and by us, I mean women athletes. So, for there to be an entry level of equity across the board was eye-catching. It’s something that I stand for, obviously,” the former WNBA champion said.
She even hoped that the equity share would become the norm for the leagues going forward, as the WNBA’s model fell short of her expectations. But there are a few big questions: how many WNBA stars would take the ‘bold step’, and when will the WNBA take action on the CBA negotiations?