A New League for the Best of the Best

Even as women’s basketball has begun to rise in popularity, many WNBA players play overseas during their offseason to capitalize on higher wages; many players will go to China, Turkey, Russia, or Italy. These leagues have a higher average salary than the WNBA, and typically offer WNBA players higher than average salaries. Overseas, the leagues don’t have a salary cap and are usually backed by big, wealthy, individuals, corporations—in some places, they’re even backed by the government. As a result, the teams have higher team budgets, meaning that the players’ salaries are higher. Even some of the league’s biggest stars, such as New York Liberty power forward Breanna Stewart and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, have gone overseas at some point; both players make over $1 million overseas, per season. That’s a significant gap when compared to the average WNBA salary of $119,590. Players such as Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams have even come out against the WNBA, saying “The WNBA: you know, if you want us to be here, you have to pay us more.” Griner has also spoken out before, saying “A lot of us go over there to make an income to support our families, to support ourselves.” Recognizing these struggles, WNBA superstars and UConn legends Stewart and Napheesa Collier are launching a new league in January to offer players new and stable opportunities in the United States.

Unrivaled will be a new 3x3 women’s basketball league; its inaugural season kicks off on January 17 in Miami. The league will feature a new style of 3x3 basketball—the game is played on a compressed full court with seven-minute quarters, as opposed to a single ten-minute period that is typical of FIBA 3x3 competitions. Since games are longer, there’s more time for sponsorships, advertisements, and commercial breaks, meaning that there’ll be more exposure and time for sponsors to reach an audience. As a result, both the league and its partners will benefit from greater profits. The season will last nine weeks including the playoffs, which will be between the top four teams in the standings after the regular season. Additionally, the league will host a one-on-one competition, and prize money is set at a minimum $250,000. Players will also be paid an average salary of $250,000; this is a record for the highest average salary in the history of women’s sports in America. All 36 players will also have equity ownership of their teams.

There are currently six teams in the league: the Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose, and Vinyl. Coaches include Andrew Wade, DJ Sackmann, Phil Handy, Adam Harrington, Nola Henry, and Teresa Witherspoon. All of these coaches have some sort of basketball experience, whether from coaching in the WNBA or the NBA. Each team will consist of six players, including prominent WNBA players such as Griner, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, and Kahleah Copper. The rosters range from seasoned veterans to rookies, and each of the players brings special skill, potential, and experience to their teams. It’s going to be a familiar competition for the players. Many will reunite with current or ex-teammates. Some of the most notable reunions include between Collier and Courtney Williams—current teammates on the Minnesota Lynx—playing on the Lunar Owls and Stewart and Jewell Lloyd—former teammates on the Seattle Storm—reunited on Mist. However, the league doesn’t just attract those in the WNBA but also attracts emerging college athletes. They’ve signed UConn guard Paige Bueckers on an NIL deal and plan to have her enter the league in 2026 and have signed LSU star Flau’jae Johnson on a similar deal. As Unrivaled continues to grow over the next few years, it is likely that more big names will join out of college. 

The league not only has an impressive list of players but an impressive roster of investors, too. Unrivaled has raised $28 million in funding through an oversubscribed Series A investment round—the amount of investor interest exceeded what they originally intended to raise. As a result, the league was able to expand from its original 30 players to the 36 players they now have. As the league grows in the coming years, they hope for eight teams and 48 players in the league. Some notable investors include former ESPN president John Skipper and many athletes such as Alex Morgan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, and Michael Phelps. The league has also partnered with major brands such as Ally Financial, TNT Sports, Under Armour, and Miller Lite. Ally Financial will be Unrivaled’s founding sponsor and have secured jersey rights; they will also do media outreach. TNT Sports will be the league’s media partnership; live coverage of games will exclusively be on TNT, truTV, and will be streamed on Max. For the league to have the involvement of such distinguished investors and partners positions them to expand their reach and create a sustainable way for players to thrive, domestically, in the offseason. 

Unrivaled represents a bold but powerful step forward for women’s basketball. With elite talent, great partnerships, and a vision for sustainability, the league has the potential to change the landscape of the women’s game. As it prepares to start its inaugural season, Unrivaled is set to elevate the game and create lasting opportunities for players to thrive on and off the court for years to come.