There is a new professional league coming to women’s basketball this offseason.
For decades, women’s basketball stars had to take their talents overseas once the WNBA season ended to make a decent wage. Now, fans will be able to watch their favorite WNBA players compete in the United States in the offseason, thanks to the “Unrivaled” start-up league ignited by superstars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
What is the Unrivaled, how will it work and who is participating? The Sporting News takes a deep dive below.
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What is Unrivaled women’s basketball league?
Unrivaled is a new 3×3 women’s basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Its inaugural season will tip off in January 2025 in Miami.
Unrivaled will give WNBA players an offseason league in the United States so they don’t have to play overseas to make a decent wage as a professional basketball player.
“The league is also setting a record with the highest average salaries in women’s sports history. All 30 initial players will receive equity ownership,” per the Unrivaled website.
With unprecedented salaries and ownership share for the players, Unrivaled is another example of the exploding interest in women’s basketball.
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Unrivaled rules, explained
Unrivaled is a 3×3 league that will be played on a “compressed full-court” of 70×50 feet.
Games will be four quarters with a game clock and a shot clock. There will be six teams of five players. Each team will have two subs, a head coach, an assistant coach and a team manager.
The six teams will play in a round-robin schedule and the top-four teams will advance to the playoffs. The season will include eight weeks of total play, including the postseason.
Unrivaled will also feature a 1v1 single-elimination tournament played in February to determine the best 1v1 player in the world. League co-founder Collier recently revealed on X that the winner of the 1v1 tournament will earn a massive grand prize of $250,000 “minimum.”
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Will Caitlin Clark join Unrivaled?
On Thursday, Front Office Sports reported that Unrivaled will try to recruit Caitlin Clark to its league over the coming weeks. After her rookie season with the Fever recently came to an end, Unrivaled will at least be trying to get the star to join some of her WNBA peers.
Clark would be a massive addition for the league, as she’s helped spark an increase in TV ratings in the WNBA. She could do the same with Unrivaled, which recently earned a media rights deal with TNT Sports, in its inaugural season. During a previous Q&A on X, league co-founder Collier sparked some speculation about the WNBA star’s participation in Unrivaled.
A user asked Collier for a hint on the number of rookies playing in the league. Collier responded with a GIF of Snoop Dogg holding up four fingers, leaving fans excited about the potential of Clark’s inclusion as one of the four.
WNBA star Angel Reese has already been confirmed as one of the rookies, and Collier spoke highly of Reese’s decision to play from a business standpoint.
Angel is ✨a business woman✨& knows the power of ownership. This is the one investment as basketball players we can control. Angel is part of this group that’s bringing in a ton of viewership, she should have long term upside in the growth of basketball! Plus we’re in Miami… https://t.co/0vSii4tF7Q
— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) August 9, 2024
Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin, who is one of Clark’s best friends, also hinted that she might be joining the league in an interview.
Unrivaled will continue to recruit Clark, but it remains to be seen if she’ll officially take up an offer.
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Unrivaled players confirmed
Unrivaled has been doing an awesome and entertaining rollout on its X page to announce the inaugural season’s participants. The social media account has tweeted GIFs or hints to tease the next player announced, revealing the league’s talent one by one.
You can find an updated list of confirmed players for Unrivaled’s inaugural season below.
| Player | WNBA team |
| Breanna Stewart | New York Liberty |
| Napheesa Collier | Minnesota Lynx |
| Chelsea Gray | Las Vegas Aces |
| Arike Ogunbowale | Dallas Wings |
| Jewell Loyd | Seattle Storm |
| Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces |
| Rhyne Howard | Atlanta Dream |
| Kahleah Copper | Phoenix Mercury |
| Jackie Young | Las Vegas Aces |
| Angel Reese | Chicago Sky |
| Dearica Hamby | Los Angeles Sparks |
Additionally, UConn star Paige Bueckers is expected to join a team after signing an NIL deal with Unrivaled.
