No. 1 Pick Azzi Fudd Joins Global Basketball League 'Project B' in Major Offseason Move

Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings, has officially announced her offseason plans, and they do not involve staying stateside. Rather than joining a domestic league or a traditional European club, the former UConn standout is signing with Project B, a highly anticipated global 5-on-5 basketball league set to launch this December. The move places one of the sport's brightest young stars at the forefront of a rapidly shifting financial landscape for female athletes, where new ventures are aggressively competing for top-tier talent.[1][2]

Founded by tech executives Grady Burnett and Geoff Prentice, Project B is designed as a premium, Formula 1-style touring league. The circuit will feature six teams of 11 players competing in seven two-week tournaments across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Host cities already announced include Valencia, Spain, and Tokyo, Japan, with games scheduled to run from December 2026 through April 2027. Host Broadcast Services, known for its extensive work with the FIFA World Cup, will serve as the league's production partner to stream the matchups globally.[2][6]

The primary catalyst behind Project B's rapid talent acquisition is its unprecedented compensation model. While Fudd is currently earning a historic $500,000 rookie salary under the WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement, Project B is reportedly offering its top stars multi-million dollar annual salaries alongside equity stakes in the league itself. This level of financial investment is designed to provide women's basketball players with earning potential that has historically been reserved for their male counterparts, fundamentally altering the calculus of how players manage their careers.[2][4]

Fudd's decision carries significant implications for the broader offseason ecosystem, particularly concerning Unrivaled, the domestic 3-on-3 league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. During her college career, Fudd was part of Unrivaled's "Future is Unrivaled" NIL class, leading many analysts to assume she would join the Miami-based league upon turning pro. However, the opportunity to play traditional 5-on-5 basketball and travel internationally ultimately swayed the Dallas Wings rookie toward Project B, setting up a fascinating competition between the two upstart offseason leagues.[3][5]

Fudd is far from the only marquee name to commit to the global tour. She joins a growing roster of heavyweights that includes WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Jewell Loyd, and Kelsey Mitchell. The league has also secured international standouts like Awa Fam—the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft—and Australian forward Alanna Smith. By aggressively recruiting both established WNBA veterans and rising international stars, Project B is positioning itself as a premier destination for the world's top talent.[2][4]

The emergence of Project B arrives at a critical juncture for the WNBA, which is currently navigating complex collective bargaining negotiations. While Project B's December-to-April schedule does not directly conflict with the WNBA's summer season, the sheer volume of money being offered overseas gives players unprecedented leverage. If offseason leagues can guarantee seven-figure payouts and equity, the pressure intensifies on the WNBA to ensure its domestic compensation packages remain attractive enough to keep players engaged and healthy for the summer months.[4][5]

Beyond the financial implications, Project B represents a calculated bet on the international appetite for women's basketball. The league's founders have noted that roughly 90 percent of the world's three billion basketball fans reside outside the United States. By bringing a concentrated, high-stakes product directly to markets in Asia and Europe, the league aims to cultivate new fanbases and tap into lucrative international broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, moving away from the traditional home-and-away domestic model.[6]

As the inaugural tip-off approaches, the basketball world will be watching closely to see how Project B executes its ambitious vision. For players like Fudd, the league offers a chance to develop their 5-on-5 skills against elite competition while building a global personal brand. More broadly, the proliferation of well-funded offseason options signals a definitive end to the era where female basketball players had to accept subpar conditions or low pay to keep playing year-round.[3][5]