Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier announced a new league, called Unrivaled, in July 2023. The goal is to give WNBA players an alternative option to play in the U.S. in the offseason. Unrivaled is set to launch in January 2025.
The only stateside professional women’s basketball league in the offseason is Athletes Unlimited. AU runs from February to March for four weeks. The league plays the traditional five-on-five style but switches teams each week based on individual points earned. The league has been running since 2022.
However, Unrivaled proposes to run from January through March and feature 30 professional women’s players. This format would see the players divided amongst six teams and play 3-on-3 and one-on-one games at a soundstage in Miami.
Stewart and Collier intend to raise money through private funding and sponsorships to provide the players with a similar salary to what they earn in the WNBA.
Typically, WNBA players play overseas in the offseason. The pay is usually far greater and it provides them the opportunity to play year round. However, there are many drawbacks to leaving home for so long especially for young mothers like Stewart and Collier.
Due to new rules, the WNBA now requires players to return from international commitments by the start of WNBA training camps. This has caused conflicts between players playing overseas because their international seasons often run into the WNBA training camps or even first games of the season. However, with this rule the league has forced players to choose their priorities now.
Stewart stated in July that she has already taken part in numerous calls with potential business partners. And Collier stated they received a great response from players throughout the W in starting this league.
Things have been kept pretty much under wraps since the announcement last summer though.
In March, Collier stated on the Hitting the Hardwood Podcast with Mitchell Hansen, “We have (gotten commitments). I can’t talk too much about it, but we’re moving along and we’re really excited”.
With the start of the WNBA season it reminds fans there are not many post-season options in the states. For the players sake, hopefully Unrivaled follows through and meets success in January.
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