Project B women’s basketball league to play in Tokyo in April 2027
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/01/2026 (245 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
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