This is how much money Sophie Cunningham will make by joining Project B originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday was confirmed as the latest player to join the Project B startup — a new 5-on-5 women’s basketball league that is set to tour Asia and Europe beginning in 2026.
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Cunningham, an Indiana Fever fan favorite who has come to be known as Caitlin Clark’s “enforcer,” joins Kelsey Mitchell as the second Fever player to join Project B. In a post on X confirming her participation, Cunningham said “unlimited Arby’s for life amirite?“
That may be a humorous way to talk about the salary she will be earning in the new overseas league, but compared to what Cunningham and the WNBA’s top players earn domestically, the Project B package is no joke.
Cunningham ticketed for $2 million salary
Like the eight players announced before her, Cunningham will get a share of equity in Project B, which will espouse a Formula 1-esque calendar in holding seven two-week tournaments around the world between November 2026 and April 2027.
Cunningham will not only be a Project B partner; she will earn a salary north of $2 million, as Front Office Sports has reported.
That $2 million salary pales in comparison to the $100,000 that Cunningham earned when she joined the Fever in a trade from the Phoenix Mercury in February. It is roughly eight times the WNBA’s supermax salary of $249,244.
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As the WNBA faces continued labor strife amid protracted collective bargaining negotiations with the WNBPA, the looming specter of Project B gives the league less leverage as it works toward a historic new CBA.
That is because even WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike has opted to take the money that is on offer from Project B — and dozens more players are expected to follow in the months ahead.
