The WNBA season ended on an incredible high, with the New York Liberty clenching their first championship in 28 seasons after beating out the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the finals. And thanks to two of the finals competitors, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the excitement doesn’t have to end with the 2024 season. Stewart and Collier are launching Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league, which will take place during the WNBA off-season. Unrivaled has been rolling out announcements regarding sponsors, players, salary, and schedule since 2023 – and we’ve stayed on top of it all. Ahead, here’s everything you need to know about Unrivaled basketball and how to tune in.
What Is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a brand-new style of 3-on-3 basketball, played on a 70-by-50-foot compressed court. Founded by Olympians and WNBA veterans Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the league will feature six teams, with five players on each team. The inaugural season is January 2025 and will be based in Miami.
Who Is Playing in the Unrivaled League?
Unrivaled has announced 26 out of the 30 players on the team. This includes several of the WNBA Finals stars (like Courtney Williams and Satou Sabally), respected vets like Brittany Griner and Jewell Lloyd, as well as popular rookies, Angel Reese and Rikea Jackson. You can see the full list below:
- Breanna Stewart
- Napheesa Collier
- Chelsea Gray
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Jewell Loyd
- Kelsey Plum
- Rhyne Howard
- Kahleah Copper
- Jackie Young
- Angel Reese
- Dearica Hamby
- Kayla McBride
- Marina Mabrey
- Satou Sabally
- Allisha Gray
- Natasha Cloud
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Rickea Jackson
- Dijonai Carrington
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Brittney Sykes
- Shakira Austin
- Tiffany Hayes
- Brittney Griner
- Azurá Stevens
- Courtney Williams
When Does Unrivaled Basketball Start?
The Unrivaled season begins Jan. 17, 2025 in Miami, FL. The season will last eight weeks, including playoffs, and the six teams will play in a round-robin schedule. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will make the playoffs. There will also be a 1 v 1 championship within Unrivaled to determine the best 1 v 1 player in the world and, according to Collier, there will be a $250,000 prize.
So it’s a single elimination tournament to determine the best 1v1 player in the world. And I’m ACTUALLY not supposed to say this but…first place gets minimum $250k 💰🤑 https://t.co/8Jb2DYEXhs
– napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) August 9, 2024
What Will the Salary Be For Unrivaled Players?
The league is setting a record with the highest average salaries in women’s sports history, starting at $100,000. All 30 initial Unrivaled players will also receive equity ownership. This is monumental for WNBA players, considering that the conversation around the league’s pay gap and need to play overseas during the WNBA off-season has been a point of contention among athletes for decades.
“As elite basketball players and also moms, we get it. We get both sides of it,” Stewart told PS in a recent interview, discussing the creation of Unrivaled. Stewart went on to says that she takes pride in being able to “make this league where players can stay home, have their families be close, and make sure that the W and these players are constantly relevant and top of mind and you don’t have to figure out which country they’re playing in overseas.”
Where Can Fans Watch Unrivaled Basketball?
The league recently announced a multiyear partnership with TNT. You’ll be able to view Unrivaled games three nights a week, according to AP News. Twice-weekly games will be featured on Mondays and Fridays on TNT, while games that are played on Saturday will be shown on truTV.
Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.
