Athletes Unlimited Cancels 2027 Season Despite Women’s Hoops Surge
Several other women’s winter basketball leagues have launched in recent years.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball has announced it will pause its 2027 season, marking a surprising turn of events despite the growing popularity of women's basketball. The decision, made by the league founded by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros, comes just months after the WNBA and WNBPA reached a new collective bargaining agreement that significantly boosted player salaries.
The minimum wage in the WNBA this season stands at $270,000, a considerable increase from previous years. According to Athletes Unlimited, the move to pause the 2027 season is a strategic decision to evaluate how the league can best contribute to the long-term growth of women's basketball. The league, which has also ventured into softball and volleyball leagues, had previously expressed interest in making a comeback in 2028 or beyond.
Current players under contract for the 2027 season do not exist, allowing dozens of women's athletes to explore other winter league opportunities. Unrivaled, a domestic 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is one such option. With its season running from January to March, Unrivaled has already secured six-figure salaries for all its players and has filled more than 90% of its roster spots after making significant offseason signings.
Another potential winter league is Project B, a global basketball league set to launch in December. Although Project B has already signed more than a dozen players, including Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, and Mitchell, it is still far from reaching the 66-player pool it initially aimed for.
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