Project B adds Sophie Cunningham to growing roster of talent

Project B, the planned international women’s basketball league scheduled to begin competition next year, has added a significant new name: the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham.

A former Missouri standout, Cunningham spent the first six years of her career in Phoenix. A trade to Indiana united her with Caitlin Clark, and Cunningham immediately drew attention for her willingness to defend Clark. Cunningham is the third WNBA player, after Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike and Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, to join up with Project B.

Designed as a global sports enterprise, with an array of international investors, Project B is planning for a late 2026 start to its women’s basketball league. Founded by former Facebook and Skype executives, Project B’s strategy is to apply tech-style disruption and social media distribution to the world of sports, starting with women’s basketball.

Project B intends to create a worldwide Formula 1-style series of traveling tournaments, pitting six teams of 11 players apiece against one another over the course of seven weeks.

Now in the midst of labor negotiations while enjoying a wave of popularity led in large part by Clark, the WNBA is a ripe target for disruption. Project B would play during the WNBA’s offseason, but has already pledged to pay significantly higher salaries than the WNBA, while offering equity stakes to players joining early.

Cunningham’s presence could be the key to unlocking a significant opportunity for Project B: the addition of Clark to its roster. Clark’s domestic popularity could buttress the endeavor as it makes a play to establish itself on the international stage.