Ahead of the Indiana Fever’s opening preseason matchup against the New York Liberty, Fever stars Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham reaffirmed their commitment to upstart women’s basketball league Project B.
This comes despite Mitchell saying earlier this week that it would take a “drastic, unique situation” for her to play overseas again after the WNBA’s new CBA was signed, increasing player salaries from a maximum of around $250,000 to $1.4 million.
Mitchell, who has previously played with professional teams in Egypt, Israel, Spain, and China during the WNBA offseason, tells Front Office Sports that her experiences with those teams are not the same as what she’ll get with Project B—a touring league which will debut with seven two-week long tournaments across Europe, Asia, and Latin America from November 2026 to April 2027.
“There’s a big difference, and I think people recognize what that difference is,” Mitchell said. “Project B gives you a chance to do both, go in and come out, whereas [with] overseas basketball you’ve gotta be over there, eight months or seven months, just to get everything you want.”
Mitchell, a 2025 All-WNBA First-Team selection, emphasized how Project B would allow her to return to the United States between tournaments. Ahead of the 2026 season, she competed in the Miami-based Unrivaled league, which she said made it easier to hone her craft compared to when she played overseas.
Cunningham said that when she and Mitchell signed with Project B, she wasn’t sure if there would be a 2026 WNBA season and mentioned wanting “security.” The 5-on-5 league will reportedly give players seven-figure salaries starting at $2 million, as well as equity.
“When they’re offering that type of money, plus the signing bonus, plus having equity in the company, it’s a no-brainer,” Cunningham tells FOS. “I have financially smart people around me, and they’re like, ‘you got to do it. Your body’s got to suck it up.’”
Even with the increased payday she’s getting and the platform she has in the W, Cunningham still values the opportunities she says she’ll have with Project B.
Cunningham is joining USA Network as a WNBA analyst this coming season. She also co-hosts the Show Me Something podcast with reality TV star West Wilson.
“When companies pour into us, they really see our value,” Cunningham said. “That’s not just on the basketball court, that’s just in life as a businesswoman.”
Mitchell and Cunningham both re-signed with the Fever on one-year deals. Mitchell is making $1.4 million on a supermax deal, while Cunningham will earn $655,000 in 2026. Cunningham previously voiced her frustration over her contract, as she was looking for a longer deal with Indiana.
The Fever duo’s verbal commitment to Project B post-CBA indicates there is interest in the league beyond being used as leverage for WNBA salary negotiations. In November, sources told FOS that Project B could eventually be an indirect threat to the WNBA. Project B directly overlaps with Unrivaled, which runs from January to March.
There are currently 13 players announced for Project B.
