Will Project B Steal the WNBA's Biggest Stars?

Big money, big moves, big debates. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena unpack the WNBA’s proposed salary increase—potentially exceeding $1.1 million—and what it means for the ongoing CBA negotiations, from revenue sharing to prioritization rules and the core system. They also dive into Project B, the emerging global women’s league aiming to offer the highest average salaries in the sport. Then the crew breaks down the 2024 vs. 2025 WNBA rookie classes and debates who would win in a game to 21. And finally, they wrap up with where you should be setting your screens this weekend. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:52 WNBA proposes raising maximum player salary above $1.1 million 03:19 What do WNBA players want regarding revenue sharing? 06:08 Is the WNBA’s current salary proposal good enough? 10:11 What is the core system in the WNBA? 15:23 Will the WNBA maintain its prioritization rule? 23:31 Explaining Project B basketball league 27:26 Could Project B attract more big-name talent? 28:58 Project B’s business model remains uncertain 35:23 What we know about the investment in Project B 52:39 Set Your Screens 52:47 USC vs. Notre Dame | Fri. 6PM ET ESPN 52:59 Michigan vs. UConn | Fri. 8PM ET FOX Sports  53:17 Kentucky vs. Louisville | Sat. 2PM ET CW Sports Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6818721/2025/11/18/wnba-cba-negotiation-update-player-salary/ by Ben Pickman We’re putting together a couple of mailbag episodes! Got thoughts or questions about the CBA? Curious about college hoops? Send them our way — we want to hear from you! Email us at NoOffseason@theathletic.com We want to hear from you! Take a minute to fill out our quick listener survey and tell us what you think about the show. Your feedback helps us grow! Check out our show survey here: https://forms.gle/bNmxU13S84cnsfjBA Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube: @No-Offseason -Instagram: @tanooffseason [https://www.instagram.com/tanooffseason] -TikTok: @no_offseason [https://www.tiktok.com/@no_offseason] Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings -Produced by Taneka Burrell -Executive Produced by Andrea B. Scott and Cassius Flemming Thumbnail: Adam Hagy, Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1 Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm7txmok7cpMB3YlgkwrT2E0 Shorts Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm72uhBjsd24rsh5teZtgUpS