Project B has sent some jitters to the WNBA. The new women’s basketball league, expected to begin in Europe and Asia in November 2026, has signed key WNBA stars already. It started with WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, then came Alyssa Thomas. Now Jonquel Jones and Jewell Loyd have also accepted the lucrative offer. While landing veterans is valuable, the real test is prying away the league’s biggest superstars like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson. However, the shoe deals with $92.4B Nike could be one of the barriers to their signature.

Of course, Project B wants Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson. One is the premier needle mover in women’s basketball other is the best player in the world. They are two of the most respected players in the league, and signing them will make signing the rest of the 60 players easier. Both are signed to Nike. That shoe deal might become the reason Project B doesn’t get them, as Sue Bird’s experience suggests. 

“What gets lost when it comes to the WNBA is playing in America. Being able to capitalize on endorsements, which now is a real player for these players. But being able to capitalize on endorsements,” Bird said on A Touch More With Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, “A lot of these contracts, you know, now, it’s not that you can’t create a new type of contract, but I know my shoe deal, I had to play in the WNBA to get my money. So, a lot of the ecosystem that we live in as Americans playing in the WNBA revolves around playing in America.”

The initial plan is to play seven two‑week tournaments staged across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, similar to F1/LIV‑style event stops rather than a single home‑and‑away season. An international league that is supposed to attract basketball audiences from across the globe. Like Bird once did, Clark and Wilson might have clauses that tie their payout to playing in the US.

It can be changed. However, the value that Clark and Wilson bring to the table changes after moving away from the WNBA. Thus, changing their value of the deal. Yes, the already signed players, Thomas and Ogwumike, are associated with Nike, but they are in a different tier of popularity. Wilson and Clark are their money makers. Clark is now their marquee athlete and has released her logo. Wilson’s signature shoes, the A’Ones, sold out within minutes earlier this year. 

There are arguments that players can play both since the calendars do not clash and aren’t yet posed as  WNBA competitors. However, Clark is already recovering from multiple soft tissue injuries, and playing both will cause severe strain on her body. She already did that this season, returning for a short while and reinjuring herself multiple times. While Wilson doesn’t have any current injury issues, playing both will risk her as well. Playing with little rest can also affect their game. 

“If there’s not a league, you know, if we be dramatic in the US, do Americans care about what’s happening overseas? I don’t know,” Bird further said. 

According to Statista, Nike earns 44% of their revenue from the North American region. Their core target market is the US. If Americans don’t care about an international league, it doesn’t matter how good the league’s numbers and attendance in other regions are. It’s visible in both of the Caitlin Clark PE drops from Nike. They have been US only, which reads as international WNBA fans aren’t valuable much to the company. Even if Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson want to take that higher paycheck and the equity, it would lead to a drop in their endorsement revenue. 

That currently forms a high percentage of income. With a heavy pay bump in the upcoming CBA, they will probably earn somewhere close to what Project B athletes earn. This is a possible scenario that Nike will take into consideration. Beyond just the financial profits and losses, it’s questionable whether Clark or Wilson even wants to play in Project B.

Competitive Fire Could Keep Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson Anchored in the WNBA

Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson are elite athletes. And they got there with their immense competitive fire. “I think wanting to be the best,” she said last year when asked why she plays basketball, “I don’t want anyone to be better than me. In whatever it is. I just want to be better than everybody else. 

On the other hand, Wilson is guided by the philosophy of “Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.” Sue Bird doesn’t think Project B will quench that thirst. “You just don’t get the notice that you should get if you’re not playing in the US. And I think sometimes that gets lost because that’s part of like the fabric of who you are as an athlete, right? Like wanting to play on those big stages and wanting that notoriety,” Bird said. 

Both Wilson and Clark have already avoided playing in Unrivaled. This year, Clark had a chance to ramp things up in her road to recovery with a light 3 v3. And even earn a lot more money in the process, but she has declined their standing offer. Wilson, a veteran, didn’t want the extra money either and prefers rest to a relatively new league. They would likely like to stay at home too, and Project B’s international aspirations might keep them away for months. 

Project B has no legacy yet. Clark and Wilson watched the WNBA and the NBA as children and dreamed of playing under those bright lights. Project B doesn’t have the same appeal. Project B can dangle money, but it can’t instantly manufacture the history, rivalries, and visibility they spent their lives chasing. For now, the smart move seems to be to wait and watch. If Project B proves to be a viable option years down the line, then they could consider it.