Project B women’s basketball league to play in Tokyo in April 2027
Project B, the new women’s and men’s basketball league, will make a stop in Tokyo in April 2027.
Tokyo is the first city the organization has officially announced. Its tournament will be one of seven stops on Project B’s global circuit season format that begins in November and runs through April. Each city will host a 10-day event that crowns a local champion and feeds into a season-long championship race.
There will be men’s and women’s tournament games in Tokyo being played at the Toyota Arena, with play going from March 26-April 4.
“We’re honored to bring Project B to Tokyo alongside our partners in Japan,” said Keisuke Mitsui, head of Project B Japan. “Tokyo sits at the intersection of global culture, innovation, and basketball, with a fan base that truly understands and loves the game. Japan has shown what’s possible when you invest in players and fans, and Toyota Arena will be an iconic stage for our athletes and a destination for basketball fans around the world.”
Both tournaments will have 66 players divided into six teams. The league has already announced 10 women’s players headlined by Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Mitchell.
Japanese star Mai Yamamoto will also compete in the league which was announced Thursday.
“It is a true honor to be part of Project B, and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity,” Yamamoto said. “I want to use this global stage to show the world ‘Japanese Dynamism’ – our unique speed and passion. Carrying the Pride of Japan in my heart, I am excited to welcome the global elite to my home country.”
The men’s players will be announced later this year.
According to the organization, women’s players will receive larger salaries than those currently offered by the WNBA. They are also expected to be higher than those at Unrivaled — the 3-on-3 league that started last year and features many top WNBA players.
While the financial specifics haven’t been disclosed, the potential of more lucrative compensation comes at an important moment for women’s professional basketball. As interest in the sport has soared in recent years, the WNBA and players union are locked in tense negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement with much of the dispute centered on salary and revenue sharing.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports