As the W continues a tense and very public battle with the players’ union over the new CBA, a new challenger has quietly grown louder in the background. Project B. What started as a passion project for Geoff Prentice and Grady Burnet became something far bigger the moment WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike signed on.

And the announcements haven’t slowed down since. The likes of Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones have already committed, adding even more star power to the mix. But it was their latest reveal, Kelsey Mitchell, that truly took social media by storm.

If you look at most of the signings Project B made before announcing Mitchell, you’ll notice a clear pattern. Players like Ogwumike, Loyd, and Thomas are all All-WNBA talents, but they’re also at stages of their careers where age will eventually start catching up.

For many of them, this could realistically be the last major payday they secure. And with multiple WNBA stars reportedly being offered seven-figure salaries, starting at around $2 million per year, according to Front Office Sports, the move makes complete sense from a financial standpoint.

For a league that many believed was shaping into a home for players nearing the later stages of their careers, the narrative around Project B changed instantly with the signing of Kelsey Mitchell. The Indiana Fever guard is in her prime, one of the most explosive guards in the WNBA, and nowhere near the “past-their-prime” category people tried to box Project B players into.

And truthfully, the signs were there. For the past two weeks, fans noticed Project B’s social media account following Mitchell. This is the same breadcrumb trail we saw before other big announcements. Long before Loyd, Jonquel Jones, or Salaun revealed their decisions, Project B had already followed them, creating early speculation that later proved true.

But this move has fans worried for good reason. Here’s what social media is saying following Kelsey Mitchell’s announcement to join Project B.

Fans React to Kelsey Mitchell Joining Project B

There are multiple reasons to be worried after this move, but before getting into all of that, it’s important to note the rude treatment Indiana Fever fans felt from the community. Earlier this year, when Unrivaled held its inaugural season, many Fever supporters refused to tune in simply because their favorite backcourt duo, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, who each averaged 19.2 points, didn’t participate.

“Fever fans complained about Unrivaled and shouted they wasn’t watching it. Can’t wait to see what they have you say about this league!!!!,” one fan wrote now.

And surprisingly enough, next season, Kelsey Mitchell won’t be getting much of a break at all. She’s expected to suit up for Unrivaled in January, then jump straight into the WNBA season (assuming it moves forward), and afterward take on Project B, which is scheduled to run from November 2026 to April 2027.

But the reason fans are taunting Fever supporters right now goes much deeper than just Kelsey Mitchell joining the league. Many are genuinely worried about what Project B could mean for the entire landscape of women’s basketball.

“I mean, I understand all of them going after a bag. But they lose all credibility as the ‘activist league,’” one fan wrote. Another added, “Nahh girl, I thought the whole point of the WNBA was women supporting women and women in sports and shit, but you’re gonna join a league funded by the most sexist country on earth?”

Here’s the problem. Fans aren’t upset about players chasing big offseason paychecks; in fact, most people agree they deserve every bit of it, given how little the W currently pays. The frustration comes from where they’re choosing to get that money.

It’s backed by elite venture capital and major global investors, including Mangrove Capital, Quiet Capital, and Sequence Capital, along with more than 40 high-profile tech leaders like Niklas Zennstrom, John Chambers, Merline Saintil, Ime Archibong, and Gabrielle Salzburg. On top of that, massive event contractors like AEG and SELA are involved.

It’s not the star power of Candace Parker, Novak Djokovic, Sloane Stephens, or Steve Young that fans have an issue with — it’s the association with SELA.

SELA is an entertainment and hospitality company known for large-scale events and experiences, and it was founded in Saudi Arabia. More importantly, it is backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). And we all know the kind of human rights issues Saudi Arabia has been associated with in the past. That alone is enough to make fans uneasy.

But to make matters worse, Project B will be headquartered in Singapore, another country with a track record of questionable human rights policies.

And for a league that has always prided itself on being an “activist league,” this move doesn’t sit right with many fans from a moral standpoint. One fan doubled down on the criticism, saying, “that saudi money make em forget about womens rights in a heartbeat 😂.”

But here’s the thing. Project B has released an official statement addressing these concerns, clearly stating that “Project B has received no funding or backing from Saudi investors.” They also clarified SELA’s role, explaining that the company will act “as event operators to organize amazing events in our host cities,” not as financial backers or decision-makers.

So, for Fever fans who are wondering, “I need to find a way to defend this 😭😭😭,” you finally have something to point to in support of Kelsey Mitchell. But it’s hard to completely ignore the possibility of Saudi involvement.

Yes, Project B has a long list of major investors, as mentioned earlier, but how do you afford to pay players $2 million per tournament, offer them equity in the league, and run a global operation without some kind of extremely deep financial backing? These are some questions that need answering.

Another worry for fans is the impact Project B could have on the W. While Alana Beard, Project B’s chief basketball officer, has said the league does not intend to compete directly with the W, the founders themselves have never actually stated that. And that’s concerning.

Right now, Project B plans to finish its first season by April 2027, just weeks before the W tips off in May. But what happens after year one? If future seasons start to overlap with the WNBA calendar, players may eventually be forced to choose between the two leagues.