Women’s basketball has been having a moment over the last few years with both the WNBA and women’s college basketball taking the sports world by storm.
Come January, another new women’s league will be attempting to do the same thing.
Unrivaled is coming soon. Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart’s new 3-on-3 basketball league is filled with some of the most exciting names in the game. The star power that will be participating in the league’s inaugural season will certainly make for an intriguing watch. On Wednesday, many of those names were officially added to their teams.
So what happens next? When does the league start? How will everything go down? So many people have so many questions about what’s coming around the corner.
Don’t worry — we have answers. Here’s everything you need to know about Unrivaled.
What is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
The league will be broadcast on TNT Sports beginning in January. It’s been a long time coming since the league was announced in May.
The league received outside investment from former athletes and coaches like Carmelo Anthony, Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Wie West, Steve Nash and even UConn’s Geno Auriemma.
How many players are participating?
There are currently 34 players set to participate across two teams with two “wild card” slots still left to be filled.
We should probably assume that those two spots will eventually be filled by players participating in the league this winter. But, as far as who those players are, we have no idea. More on that later!
You should also know that all players included in the league are making six figure salaries from participating. Here’s more from the Associated Press:
“Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s 3-on-3 league Unrivaled is set to debut in January with players earning the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history.
Collier and Stewart said that all salaries will be six figures and that players will also have an equity stake in the league.
“It’s really important to us,” Collier told The Associated Press. “Compensation is a huge part of Unrivaled as a league and a business. All the players in this first year will have equity in the league. For players to have a piece of the pie essentially to grow their generational wealth is something we’re really excited about.”
Who is participating?
Obviously, Collier and Stewart are the two big names and founders of the league.
But it’ll also include other All-Stars like Angel Reese, Kahleah Copper, Arike Ogunbowale, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and more.
Another interesting addition is Paige Bueckers, the UConn star who won’t play this year but is set to play in 2026 after her first official WNBA season.
There’s plenty of star power involved.
When does the league start and how long is the season?
The season will start on January 17 and is located in Miami. The games will be played in a custom facility with a capacity of 850 and will be broadcast by TNT Sports. The season will last for eight weeks, including the playoffs.
The top four teams at the end of the season will make the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Napheesa Collier also added that there will also be a 1-on-1 championship tournament to determine the best player in the world and the winner will win a $250,000 cash prize.
Sorry. I have to ask — Is Caitlin Clark playing?!?
Well, we don’t know yet! Remember those two wild card slots? It’s totally possible that one of them is being left open for Caitlin Clark.
The league has been openly courting Clark for weeks. Collier has clarified that she’d be more than welcome in Unrivaled. Plus, there have been a few hints that Clark might be joining.
IT WAS ALL A RUSE: Unrivled bamboozled people with the 11:22 roster reveal time and it was great.
But there’s no indication that she actually will at this point. So, basically, we’ll see!
That’s all you need to know about the league for now. But there will certainly be plenty of updates to come down the line. Stay tuned.
