A touring 5-on-5 league with seven-figure salaries, player ownership and Russell Westbrook in the front office. Project B starts its first season in January with 23 announced players, many of them WNBA stars. Here’s what US fans need to know.
Project B is a new global 5-on-5 basketball league that plays a series of tournaments in different cities instead of a home-and-away season. Its first women’s season runs January to April 2027, starting in Hangzhou, China, on January 19, with stops in Valencia and Tokyo. WNBA stars including Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas and Azzi Fudd have signed. Games stream free on YouTube.
How Project B Works
Project B calls itself a “global basketball grand prix.” Instead of teams playing a season in home arenas, the whole league travels to a host city, plays a tournament there, then moves on, like a Formula One race weekend.
| Format | 5-on-5, standard basketball |
| Teams | 6 teams of 11 players (66 total) |
| Team identity | Not tied to any city or country; the league markets its players, not franchises |
| Season | January to April 2027 |
| Structure | Each stop crowns a tournament champion and feeds a season-long title race |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Divisions | Women’s league launches first; men’s league in development |
| TV | Streamed free on YouTube |
The pitch to players is ownership and pay: every signee gets an equity stake, and salaries are reported to beat both the WNBA and Unrivaled. The league says it schedules around the WNBA and international basketball calendars, but not around Unrivaled, whose January–March season overlaps it.
Project B 2027 Schedule and Host Cities
| Dates | City | Venue | Event | Time vs. ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6–12 | Seoul, South Korea | Park Hyatt Seoul | Draft and training camp | 14 hours ahead |
| Jan 19–24 | Hangzhou, China | Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium | Season opener, 6-team tournament | 13 hours ahead |
| Mar 12–21 | Valencia, Spain | Roig Arena | Tournament, during the Las Fallas festival | 5–6 hours ahead |
| Mar 26–Apr 4 | Tokyo, Japan | Toyota Arena Tokyo | Tournament | 13 hours ahead |
| TBA | More stops | — | Not yet announced | — |
Time differences are for Eastern Time; add three hours for Pacific. Valencia is six hours ahead until US daylight saving time starts March 14, then five.
The league originally announced seven stops across Europe, Asia and Latin America and says it will eventually reach the Americas, but every confirmed 2027 event is overseas. For US fans, Project B is a streaming league this season: an evening game in Hangzhou airs early in the morning on the East Coast.
Project B Players: Every Announced Signing
Project B has announced 23 women’s players as of September 2026 and says it has signed more than it has announced. Names in red played in Unrivaled or signed an Unrivaled NIL deal.
Signings that matter to US fans
- Nneka Ogwumike was the first player to sign, while serving as WNBA players’ union president.
- Alyssa Thomas and Alanna Smith both played in Unrivaled in 2026; Smith won the title with Mist BC. Neither is on Unrivaled’s 2027 list.
- Azzi Fudd, a Dallas Wings rookie, chose Project B in June 2026 after signing an Unrivaled NIL deal in college.
- Park Ji-hyun of the LA Sparks, the third Korean player in WNBA history, signed in September as the league added its Seoul camp.
- Janelle Salaün was announced in November 2025 but left after signing with Galatasaray.
Mitchell signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax with the Indiana Fever in 2026 and said at media day it would take “a drastic, unique situation” for her to play overseas again. A Project B spokesperson told Front Office Sports in September that she remains signed and is expected to play.
Project B Salary and Equity
Project B hasn’t published salaries. Front Office Sports reported that top signees were offered seven-figure deals starting at $2 million a year, with some multiyear contracts reaching eight figures. Every player also gets equity in the league.
| League | Reported pay | Season | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project B | $2M+ for top signees (reported) | Jan – Apr | Yes |
| WNBA (2026 CBA) | $1.4M max, $270K minimum | May – Sept, plus playoffs | No |
| Unrivaled | About $220K average (2025) | Jan – Mar | Yes |
Because Project B and Unrivaled overlap, players choose one for the winter; the WNBA season doesn’t conflict with either. More on Unrivaled pay in Unrivaled Salaries & Equity.
Who Runs Project B
| Name | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | Co-founder and chief strategy officer | Former NBA MVP; joined September 2026 with an ownership stake and a board seat after an 18-year NBA career |
| Grady Burnett | Co-founder and chief operating officer | Former Facebook and Google executive |
| Geoff Prentice | Co-founder | Skype co-founder |
| Alana Beard | Co-founder and chief basketball officer | WNBA champion |
| Landry Fields | Head of men’s basketball | Former NBA player and Atlanta Hawks GM |
Investors and advisors include Candace Parker, Steve Young, Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens, plus venture firms Mangrove Capital, Quiet Capital and Sequence Equity. LeBron James’ business partner Maverick Carter and European agent Miško Ražnatović advise on player recruitment.
Project B and Saudi Arabia
Project B’s events are produced with Sela, an entertainment company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Chief basketball officer Alana Beard has said Project B pays Sela to produce its events. The Financial Times reported in 2025 that the fund was an investor; co-founder Grady Burnett denied it, saying the league has no money coming from Saudi Arabia. The tie has drawn criticism given Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and it remains the league’s most debated issue.
How to Watch Project B in the US
Every game streams free on Project B’s YouTube channel, with Host Broadcast Services producing the coverage. No US TV network has been announced. Because all 2027 stops are in Asia and Europe, most games will air live in the middle of the night or morning in the US. Check each event’s local start times against the time differences in the schedule table.
Project B Men’s League
A men’s league is planned to play in the same host cities, but no men’s players have been announced and no launch date has been set. Landry Fields says rosters will mix teenagers, veterans with long NBA careers and international players. Current NBA players can’t take part, because NBA contracts bar them from playing in other leagues.
Project B vs. Unrivaled vs. WNBA
| Project B | Unrivaled | WNBA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 5-on-5 tournaments | 3-on-3 league | 5-on-5 league |
| Where | Asia and Europe | Miami + 8 US cities | US and Canada |
| 2026-27 dates | Jan – Apr 2027 | Jan – Mar 2027 | May – Oct |
| US TV | Free on YouTube | TNT, truTV, HBO Max | National and local networks |
More on the other leagues: Unrivaled and Unrivaled vs. WNBA.
Project B FAQ
When does Project B start?
The draft and training camp run January 6–12, 2027, in Seoul, and the first tournament is January 19–24 in Hangzhou, China.
Will Project B play in the United States?
Not in 2027. Every confirmed stop is in Asia or Europe. The league says it plans to reach the Americas later.
Is Project B free to watch?
Yes. Games stream free on Project B’s YouTube channel.
Is Russell Westbrook playing in Project B?
No. He’s a co-founder and chief strategy officer, an executive role with an ownership stake.
Is Project B funded by Saudi Arabia?
The league denies it. It does pay Sela, a company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, to produce its events.
How many teams are in Project B?
Six, with 11 players each. Teams aren’t tied to cities.
