A week ago, the idea would have been laughable. Caitlin Clark, the loyal purist who built her brand on homegrown American stardom, playing anywhere but the WNBA? Impossible. She turned down offers from the Big3 and Unrivaled, content with her record-breaking endorsement deals. But this is no longer about chasing a few extra dollars. A new, terrifyingly legitimate threat has emerged, and it’s not just knocking on the WNBA’s door; it’s preparing to tear the entire house down.

A new, Saudi-funded global basketball league, code-named “Project B,” is readying a $200 million offer for Caitlin Clark. And for a WNBA that has spent a season mired in self-sabotage, this is nothing short of an “extinction level event.”

This isn’t some fleeting fantasy. “Project B” is a two-year-in-the-making behemoth founded by tech titans, not basketball hopefuls. We’re talking about Grady Burnett, a former Google and Facebook executive, and Jeff Prentice, the co-founder of Skype. Their investor list reads like a global sports hall of fame: US Open champion Sloane Stephens, NFL legend Steve Young, tennis icon Novak Djokovic, and, in a critical move, WNBA star Elena Delle Donne as Chief Basketball Officer.

But the most devastating name on that list, the one that should send a cold chill down every WNBA executive’s spine, is Candace Parker. The recently retired legend is not just an investor; she is reportedly an active recruiter, having “very interesting conversations” with current WNBA players, potentially right under the league’s nose.

The plan is simple, audacious, and proven: execute the “LIV Golf playbook.” Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund used this exact strategy to disrupt the PGA Tour, offering “world-breaking contracts” that traditional sports organizations simply cannot match. Jon Rahm swore loyalty to the PGA before taking $300 million. Phil Mickelson took $200 million. Now, that same playbook is aimed directly at the heart of the WNBA.

The numbers being reported are staggering. Sources claim “Project B” plans to pay 10 times the current WNBA salaries. The new WNBA supermax is expected to be around $850,000. This new league is talking seven figures for role players. Take Sophie Cunningham, a solid contributor with star power. Her WNBA salary might be $250,000. “Project B” is reportedly willing to pay her $5 million. That’s a 20-times multiplier. That isn’t just a raise; it’s a one-contract move from “comfortable” to “generational wealth.”

And if that’s the offer for a role player, what is the calculation for the woman responsible for 50% of all league viewership?

The $200 million number for Caitlin Clark isn’t just for shock value; it “actually makes sense.” Clark has been independently evaluated as being worth $1 billion to the WNBA. Her presence has more than doubled team values and is the primary reason the league just secured a $2 billion media rights deal. From a pure investment standpoint, a $200 million, or even a $500 million, offer for Clark would be a “smart investment.” The second she signs, “Project B” gains instant legitimacy, a billion-dollar valuation, and a flood of sponsors. Without her, it’s just another league. With her, it’s a “money printer.”

This brings us back to Candace Parker. Why would a WNBA icon actively work to dismantle the league she helped build? The answer, it seems, is a profound and personal lack of respect, aimed directly at the top.

In a recent, stunning admission, Parker detailed the stark contrast in how she’s treated by the NBA versus her own league. “I signed a deal with Amazon… I got a text from Adam Silver,” she explained. “I had my third child, I got a text from Adam Silver… I get a Christmas gift from Adam Silver every year.” When she retired, Silver sent a personal text congratulating her on her career and all she’d done for the women’s game.

And from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert? “Radio silence. I have not heard from Kathy.”

Let that sink in. The NBA commissioner, running a separate league, shows more personal respect and value to a WNBA legend than the WNBA’s own commissioner. That anecdote tells you everything you need to know. Parker isn’t bitter; she’s “clear-eyed.” She knows the leadership doesn’t value its players. And when she calls A’ja Wilson or Aaliyah Boston, she’s not just selling them on money; she’s offering them respect.

This is the WNBA’s great vulnerability. The league’s “toxic” handling of the Caitlin Clark phenomenon has given “Project B” the perfect opening. For months, fans have watched in horror as the league fumbled its golden goose. Clark was physically targeted on the court in ways the league refused to address. The officiating was brutal. All the while, the league itself and some of its veteran players seemed to “downplay her impact every chance they get.”

The disrespect came from the very top. In February, when asked about officiating, Engelbert reportedly replied, “Only the losers complain about the refs.” When asked about the laughably low rookie salaries for players driving massive revenue, her response was that Clark “should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court.” It was a staggering, tone-deaf display that showed a complete failure to grasp the moment.

The WNBA had a “once-in-a-generation marketing gift.” They could have built around her, protected her, and celebrated her. Instead, they “minimized her, allowed dangerous play against her, and acted like she should be grateful for scraps.”

Now, Clark has a choice. She can stay loyal to a league that has been, at best, negligent and, at worst, actively hostile. Or she can sign with “Project B.” There, she won’t just be a player; she’ll be “royalty.” She’ll receive first-class travel, direct creative input, and, most critically, equity—an actual ownership stake in the business, something the WNBA has never offered. It’s the kind of long-term wealth-building deal that “changes family trees.”

Some will argue a move to a Saudi-backed league would “tarnish her legacy.” Those people have short memories. Diana Taurasi, arguably the WNBA’s GOAT, was paid by a Russian team to skip an entire WNBA season. When she returned, her legacy was “untouched.” Clark could take the $200 million, play overseas for three seasons, and return to the WNBA at 27 years old, still in her prime, to build her “traditional USA-based legacy.”

This is the WNBA’s nightmare scenario. The league is heading into tense CBA negotiations. Engelbert’s leadership is in question. And now, a predator with “limitless money” is waiting in the wings. The WNBA has had decades to “figure this out,” and they have “consistently chosen to underpay and undervalue the talent.” That bill is finally coming due.

The WNBA season may be over, but the real drama is just beginning.