Upcoming offseason league Project B is making moves, with the global 5×5 basketball upstart announcing Tuesday that it will play in Tokyo in the spring of 2027.
The Japanese capital will host one of Project B's seven circuit-style "tour stops" during the league's inaugural campaign — which runs from November 2026 to April 2027 — with each city showcasing a 10-day mini-tournament as part of a Formula One-style season-long title race.
With Tokyo officially hosting Project B from March 26th to April 4th of next year, the venture will announce its additional destinations at a later date.
"Tokyo sits at the intersection of global culture, innovation, and basketball, with a fan base that truly understands and loves the game," said head of Project B Japan Keisuke Mitsui. "Toyota Arena will be an iconic stage for our athletes and a destination for basketball fans around the world."
Offering multimillion-dollar salaries, Project B is shaking up women's basketball, with big-name WNBA stars like Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd already signing on.
Project B's men's and the women's tournaments each plan to field 66 players across six teams as it offers compensation that outpaces both the WNBA and Unrivaled — while potentially conflicting with the WNBA's schedule.
Incoming offseason league Project B scored more major WNBA signings this week, as the upstart venture continues stacking its roster ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.
Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have both publicly signed on with Project B, joining already announced talent like Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd.
Also inking deals to join the inaugural season of Project B are Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, and Li Meng, a former Washington Mystics guard and current player in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.
The multi-continent, Formula One-style traveling tournament circuit will ultimately sign 66 international stars, as Project B looks to field six 11-player teams in its debut 2026/2027 campaign.
Project B player signings will undoubtedly impact other offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, but the new venture is also looming large over the ongoing WNBA CBA talks.
With negotiations racing toward this Sunday's extended deadline, Project B is putting WNBA compensation offerings under increased pressure, as the new league is reportedly anteing up multimillion-dollar salaries to its signees — far exceeding the 2025 WNBA maximum as well as the $1.1 million-max currently on the negotiating table.
The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces are closing in on their third title in four years, taking down the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury 90-88 in Wednesday's Game 3 to push their 2025 WNBA Finals lead to 3-0.
A late surge kept the Mercury's do-or-die Game 3 dreams alive before 2025 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson scored the game-winner with just 2.2 seconds left on the clock, capping an impressive 34-point, 14-rebound performance en route to becoming the most prolific scorer in a single postseason in league history.
"Get the ball to A'ja, and get out of the way," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said afterwards, joking about calling her team's final play.
"We all had 100% confidence in A'ja," said guard Jewell Loyd. "Everyone on that bench was saying, 'We're winning this game.'"
As for Phoenix, the Mercury's likelihood of bouncing back in the league's first-ever best-of-seven series is hard to predict — but basketball history is not on their side.
On the men's court, no NBA team has ever won a championship series after being down 3-0, and only four teams in the league's 159 total seven-game playoff series have ever forced a decisive Game 7.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat — we've got a tough road ahead," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. "But we've got to take it one game at a time."
How to watch Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will get one last crack at survival in the 2025 WNBA Finals as they look to halt the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' momentum in Game 4 on Friday.
The matchup will tip off live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury returned to Arizona on a mission this week, tipping off Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals down 0-2 to the red-hot No. 2 Las Vegas Aces and in dire need of a bounce-back performance.
"We need to be better defensively," said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts ahead of Wendesday night's clash. "We haven't done a good enough job getting stops."
"First and foremost, we gotta play better defense," echoed forward Alyssa Thomas. "Still a lot of confidence here. We just know we have a lot of room to improve."
A 0-2 deficit has historically spelled disaster in the WNBA's previous five-game championship series, but this year's first-ever best-of-seven format gives postseason underdogs like Phoenix a bit more cushion.
"There's no panic, no pressure," said Thomas. "That's the beauty of a seven-game series. If we're sitting at five games, it's basically elimination."
"We've got two games here to do what we need to do, two guaranteed games here," added veteran forward DeWanna Bonner.
As for Las Vegas, the Aces will also be on their game, looking to avoid a slow-down in momentum on the road.
"It's going to be a different environment playing at their place, but we have to stick together, stay within ourselves, and just continue playing Aces basketball," Las Vegas guard Jewell Loyd told reporters.
How to watch Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will hunt their first victory in the 2025 WNBA Finals on home court when they host the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 at 8 PM ET on Wednesday.
Live coverage of the clash will air on ESPN.
The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces raced to a 2-0 series lead in the 2025 WNBA Finals over the weekend, opening with a close 89-86 Game 1 victory over the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Friday before pulling off a more dominant 91-78 Game 2 win on Sunday.
The Aces' offense ruled the court, with guards Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd putting up a momentum-shifting combined 39 points off the bench in Game 1 before Game 2 saw guard Jackie Young post 32 points — setting a WNBA Finals record with the most points by a player in a single quarter (21).
Young and 2025 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson — who is averaging 24.5 points per game through the first two Finals matchups — also became the second-most prolific duo in a single Finals game in WNBA history by combining for 60 of Las Vegas's 91 points on Sunday.
"I am so proud of Jackie," Wilson said after Sunday's win. "I'm a pain in the ass sometimes when she's not doing her job, because I know that [potential] is there."
Hunting their third title in four years, Las Vegas veterans Wilson, Young, and guard Chelsea Gray are combining with new signings Evans and Loyd to make things difficult for the new-look Mercury.
"We have weapons," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said. "We want to use them all, because we're harder to guard that way."
"What gives me confidence is we've been down before," countered Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts. "We've been overlooked."
While no WNBA Finals team has ever bounced back from a 0-2 start, the league's new best-of-seven format gives the Mercury a little extra cushioning as the series travels to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday.
How to watch Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will hunt their first victory in the 2025 WNBA Finals on home court when they host the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 at 8 PM ET on Wednesday.
Live coverage will air on ESPN.
The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces reclaimed their contender status in Game 2 on Tuesday night, taking down the No. 6 Indiana Fever in a 90-68 blowout victory to tie their best-of-five 2025 WNBA semifinals at 1-1.
Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson fueled the Aces' bounce-back performance with 25 points and nine rebounds, backed by 10 points apiece from reserves Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.
"I just think we came to work," Wilson said following the win. "We didn't come to work in Game 1, and that's on all of us. I think Game 2, we just decided to come to work."
Physicality on the court — as well as the referees' response to it — has played a major role in the Aces vs. Fever series, with Las Vegas clearly upping the intensity to keep Indiana at bay on Tuesday.
"It's playoffs — very physical games," said Aces forward NaLyssa Smith afterwards. "I feel like we've got to match the energy, day in and day out."
"It's hard for us to find flow when there's a foul called every 10 seconds," Fever head coach Stephanie White lamented. "When they're at the free throw line, we can't get up and down the floor, and that's a challenge."
How to watch the Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever in Game 3
The 2025 WNBA semifinals next travels to Indiana for Game 3, with the No. 6 Fever hosting the No. 2 Aces at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.
Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs is in the books, with the top two seeds putting up more than 100 points each in blowout wins when the postseason tipped off on Sunday.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx opened the playoffs' eight-team first round with a 101-72 drubbing of the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, as MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier led scoring with 20 points while guard Natisha Hiedeman added 18 off the bench.
Elsewhere, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 102-77 victory over the No. 7 Seattle Storm capped Sunday's slate, with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson leading the way with 29 points alongside double-digit performances off the bench from guards Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.
The lower seeds walked away less unscathed, as Valkyries boss and Coach of the Year favorite Natalie Nakase picked up a technical foul for arguing a call in the game's second half.
"I want a fair fight, I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out," she said afterwards, criticizing Sunday's officiating. "They're fighting. But I would like it to be fair."
"I understand it, but it's the playoffs," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said in response. "Obviously, we fouled a lot at the end. But I didn't think that was a factor in the game."
How to watch the top seeds in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs
Both Minnesota and Las Vegas are now one win away from advancing to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals.
The No. 2 Aces will look to sweep the No. 7 Storm at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.
Then on Wednesday, the No. 1 Lynx will try to silence the No. 8 Valkyries at 10 PM ET, with live coverage also on ESPN.
The WNBA Playoffs have officially arrived, as Thursday's regular-season finale locked in the eight teams battling in this year's postseason bracket — paving the path to the 2025 championship.
The first round tips off on Sunday afternoon, when the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx faces the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces match up against the No. 7 Seattle Storm, the No. 3 Atlanta Dream take on the No. 6 Indiana Fever, and the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury battles the No. 5 New York Liberty.
"We have that year of experience, and experience always makes better teams. We know what it takes to get there," Lynx star Napheesa Collier said of her team's mindset as 2024 runners-up Minnesota enter the postseason looking to close the deal this year.
All four first-round series promise stiff competition, though one team's momentum is looking difficult to beat.
Las Vegas is riding into the playoffs on 16 straight wins — the longest season-ending streak in WNBA history — with star guard Jewell Loyd's former Seattle team now standing between the Aces and a 17th victory.
As for 2025 expansion team Golden State, the Valkyries already made WNBA history, but they'll need to reset from their Thursday night 72-53 loss to Minnesota before Sunday's first-round rematch.
Elsewhere, reigning champs New York will open their title defense without home-court advantage, though the injury-plagued Liberty will face Phoenix with what seems to be a healthy lineup.
Sunday will also see Indiana aiming to offset their own season of injuries, with the Fever taking on a revamped Atlanta team that more than doubled their 2024 win total this year.
How to watch the 2025 WNBA Playoffs
The best-of-three first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs tips off with all eight postseason teams in action on Sunday, beginning with No. 8 Golden State against No. 1 Minnesota at 1 PM ET.
No. 6 Indiana will visit No. 3 Atlanta at 3 PM ET before No. 5 New York contends with No. 4 Phoenix at 5 PM ET.
No. 2 Las Vegas will host No. 7 Seattle in Sunday's nightcap at 10 PM ET.
All of Sunday's matchups will air live across ESPN platforms.
A simmering rivalry turned a new page on Wednesday, as the No. 5 Las Vegas Aces punctuated their current rise by defeating a short-staffed New York Liberty 83-77, knocking the reigning champs down to No. 3 in the WNBA standings.
"You can't rush a cake to be baked," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said about her team following their fifth straight win.
"We're just steady and poised in the locker room," added Aces guard Chelsea Gray. "In the uncomfortable situations, you figure out who you are as a team."
Las Vegas made key midseason changes after finding themselves teetering on the postseason bubble, moving 2025 addition Jewell Loyd to the bench while shifting to a small-ball starting lineup centered around 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson and recent pick-up NaLyssa Smith.
"She likes it, I guess," Hammon said of Loyd's new role after the guard posted a team-leading 21-point performance on Wednesday. "Anytime you have the threat of 20-plus coming in off the bench, that's a huge advantage."
"That's the beauty of this team," echoed Loyd. "We're very unselfish in that way — we want to see people get going and I just got hot."
While the Las Vegas Aces are gaining momentum, the Liberty are now scrambling, losing their second-place grip on the WNBA table with injured star Breanna Stewart still watching from the sideline.
How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA this week
The No. 5 Aces are in for another tough assignment on Friday, when they travel to Phoenix to take on the No. 4 Mercury at 10 PM ET.
Live coverage of the clash will air on ION.
The No. 3 Atlanta Dream still have something to say, entering Wednesday's matchup with the No. 8 Seattle Storm on a five-game winning streak — and, notably, just a half-game behind the No. 2 New York Liberty in the WNBA standings.
"We know it doesn't get any easier," Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of his team's remaining regular-season slate. "This is a trip where we're playing a lot of really good teams."
With stars Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner back in the lineup, Atlanta is returning to the height of their power at exactly the right time: "I thought BG was great," Smesko said of his once-injured center. "She was moving great. She looked really good out there."
As for Seattle, however, the Storm finds themselves on the opposite trajectory, riding a five-game losing streak into Wednesday's clash.
Adding insult to injury, former Storm guard Alysha Clark confirmed this week that she requested her midseason trade to the No. 10 Washington Mystics.
"Asked Alysha Clark if she had conversations with Seattle before the trade and she said she requested to be moved," tweeted Washington Post journalist Kareem Copeland on Tuesday. "Things hadn't worked out as they envisioned and she told herself at 38 years old she was going to stay in control of her career."
Clark's admission follows 2024 reports that volatile locker room dynamics and front office disputes prompted former Seattle star Jewell Loyd to request a trade last season.
How to watch the Atlanta Dream vs. Seattle Storm on Wednesday
The Dream will put their winning streak to the test while trying to take advantage of the Storm's skid at 10 PM ET on Wednesday.
Live coverage of the game will air on ESPN3.