It is clear that international superstars are no longer waiting for the WNBA offseason in order to make career-changing decisions. Rather, they have started opting for entirely different leagues to showcase their talents, and Unrivaled has managed to sign one of the biggest names.

The news regarding the signing of Marine Johannès to a multi-year deal with Unrivaled has been made on June 29.

In an official statement released by Unrivaled, Johannès said, "I'm incredibly excited to join Unrivaled for next season! It's a unique opportunity to compete alongside some of the best players in the world and continue growing my game."

Her enthusiasm is justified by the strength of her resume. Johannès was named MVP at EuroCup Finals in 2023, she won Olympic medals twice with the French team in 2020 and 2024, and she also scores an average of 9.7 points per game for the New York Liberty team.

This move is in keeping with the trend that has seen many players make moves for the offseason. Johannès is among the players to have signed with Unrivaled recently, joining Bridget Carleton, Flau'jae Johnson, Gabby Williams, and Olivia Miles, as the opposing league Project B seeks its own players.

The fact that Project B is after big names makes this signing even more interesting. The league had been watching Johannès on social media since November, together with 33 other users on X.

It already secured Kelsey Mitchell and Alanna Smith, former players from Unrivaled, as well as French forward Janelle Salaün who decided not to sign there.

The Johannès signing comes right into the middle of this two-league recruitment battle for 2027.

Two Leagues, One Talent Pool, and a Race to 2027

The race to attract players makes for an intriguing off-season contest that should be followed carefully. While Unrivaled stands out as the choice among home-grown teams by providing six-figure salaries under its 48-player structure, the league has so far used up more than 90% of those slots.

Project B seems to be doing things completely differently. The league will visit many markets and has made multi-million dollar offers to its biggest stars, like Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd just two weeks ago.

Both leagues are clearly trying to attract the same group of international and WNBA players. Team B has signed 15 players thus far, despite setting a target of signing 66 players in their first year.

Players like Johannès have genuine leverage now. With Project B continuing to stalk her feed and Unrivaled having already managed to sign her, the upcoming rounds of signings will determine who wins this talent recruitment war.

Who signs the next big name before the 2027 season roster is full?

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta