Unrivaled continues to overwhelm with news in anticipation of the official tip off of the league’s inaugural season on Friday, Jan. 17:
Coco, Lola are Unrivaled
Coco Gauff is the latest big name to buy into Unrivaled, as the 2023 US Open champion was announced as a league investor last week.
My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get . In all seriousness, I’m incredibly my grateful to get the opportunity to uplift women’s sports and I am super excited to join the @Unrivaledwbb family! I… https://t.co/7y2RkNrSs2
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) January 7, 2025
And while we don’t know if she has an equity stake in the league, Lola Bunny also has joined the Unrivaled family, with the Space Jam star helping to introduce to the league to the wider world.
Unrivaled’s star-studded broadcast team, top-tier partnership
On Tuesday, Unrivaled revealed the broadcast team that will be calling and analyzing games, as well as interviewing players, for TNT Sports. Unsurprisingly, it might be the best crew in the business.
Brendan Glasheen will be the play-by-play announcer, with Lisa Leslie and Sarah Kustok serving as analysts. Ros Gold-Onwude, Taylor Rooks, Allie LaForce and Stephanie Ready are the sideline reporters, while Candace Parker, Renee Montgomery and Lauren Jbara will provide studio coverage.
In case you needed any more reasons to tune in to Unrivaled games this season… just look at who we have lined up as our TNT Sports broadcast team pic.twitter.com/Z1xEiootfA
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 7, 2025
While the TNT Sports crew has fans covered for traditional, on-court content, Samsung, announced as Unrivaled’s official technology and presenting partner, will help supply fans with more behind-the-scenes access. The tech company is expected to bring more than 600 hours of pregame, postgame and in-game content to fans. Samsung also will help players track their training efforts, providing all with a Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch.
Unrivaled’s implications for the W
While the Unrivaled environment may already be influencing forthcoming WNBA free agency machinations (with the presence of disgruntled Miami HEAT Jimmy Butler likely not easing the nerves of anxious general mangers in Dallas or elsewhere), it also could prove consequential during the negotiations for the next CBA between the WNBA and WNBPA.
In press conferences for their various clubs, players, such as Stef Dolson, Arike Ogunbowale and Brittney Griner, have expressed unvarnished appreciation for Unrivaled, both as an alternative to playing overseas during the offseason and, somewhat more subtly (and not without shade), as evidence for what the WNBA could be.
Stef Dolson on the benefits of Unrivaled: “I played five or six years straight overseas… I’m very close with my family, so going overseas is hard for me. And at my age, I appreciate less travel.” @Winsidr
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) January 7, 2025
Arike Ogunbowale on her decision to be one of the first to join Unrivaled: “The opportunity to play in the States and play with the best… and just everything [Unrivaled has] to offer. Literally every single thing you need, it was a no-brainer.” (Q: @benpickman)
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) January 9, 2025
Brittney Griner says that playing in Unrivaled is filling a “void” for her after not playing offseason basketball for nearly three years after being detained in Russia.
“I should be playing, not be off. It hit me a little different. I wanted to go back to working year round.”
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) January 7, 2025
Unrivaled is operating with a “no excuses” maxim, with the league not asking players to wait for better resources and conditions, but going out there a getting all the access and amenities that players deserve. Without delay.
Brittney Griner on upcoming WNBA CBA negotiations: “Unrivaled is showing that you don’t need a lot of time to pool resources together. Being happy with what we already have is not gonna fly [here]… it’ll definitely put pressure on [the W] to do better.” (Q: @AnnieCostabile)
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) January 7, 2025
Unrivaled media availability just started.
Dearica Hamby on Unrivaled versus the WNBA:
“We’re not gonna take away what the W is doing…We’re going to continue to elevate what’s been done already…I think it’s just keeping the momentum…We’re grateful to continue.”
(Q: ?)
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) January 7, 2025
The best outcome, as Griner and Dearica Hamby allude to, is Unrivaled encouraging the WNBA to raise their game, dispensing with any quibbling about why this or that isn’t possible and, instead, finding a way to improve the W experience for all players.
That certainly will be players’ expectations. And if the WNBA is not ready to meet them, things could get interesting.
Angel strikes a pose for Vogue
Bayou Barbie. Chi Barbie. Vogue cover girl.
Chicago Sky and Rose BC star Angel Reese gets the well deserved Vogue glow up, speaking to the magazine about how she balances hoops, fashion and more.
Dream make staff additions, promotion
The staff for the Karl Smesko era of the Atlanta Dream is beginning to take shape.
The team announced that Brandi Poole and LaToya Sanders will be assistant coaches. Poole is one of the most experienced assistants in W, serving as assistant coach for the Dallas Wings during the 2023 and 2024 seasons after five seasons on the bench with the Connecticut Sun.
Sanders brings on-court, as well as sideline, experience to Atlanta. Following her seven-year WNBA career, which included winning a title in 2019 as a member of the Washington Mystics, Sanders joined the DC coaching staff in 2022. Last season, she was the team’s associate head coach.
On coming to Atlanta, Poole said:
Karl Smesko is a highly respected coach, and I look forward to learning from and working beside him. His basketball acumen and character are second to none. I am grateful to both him and Dan Padover for believing in my abilities to contribute positively to the future of the Atlanta Dream and compete for a WNBA Championship.
Sanders expressed similar enthusiasm, saying:
I’m excited to join the Atlanta Dream and work with such a talented team and staff. This is a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and success of the organization.
The Dream also promoted Brooklyn Cartwright to assistant general manager. She has been with the organization since 2021, working as director of basketball operations.
Hodges heads to Connecticut
The Connecticut Sun also announced an assistant coach addition last week, with Roneeka Hodges joining the staff of new head coach Rachid Meziane. Hodges, who played 11 seasons in the WNBA, is fresh off a championship with the New York Liberty, where she worked as an assistant since 2022.
Sun general manager Morgan Tuck said of hiring Hodges:
We are thrilled to welcome Roneeka to our coaching staff. Her experience as both a coach and player at the highest level in our league and overseas brings a unique perspective and skill set to our organization. Combined with her passion for developing talent, her experience makes her an invaluable addition to our coaching staff. Roneeka brings a strong work ethic, a deep understanding of the game, and championship experience which will contribute greatly to maintaining a winning culture. We are confident that she will make a significant impact on our organization and players.
Meziane added:
Having an experienced former player like Roneeka on staff will be a great asset to the Sun. She brings passion for the game, a winning spirit, and an understanding of what it takes to be a great coach. I’m looking forward to working alongside her in Connecticut and continuing to grow together.
According to reporting from Gabby Alfveby and Jackie Powell at The Next, Hodges opted to leave New York because Connecticut offered her “an an expanded role that the Liberty couldn’t provide her, in which she’ll have more responsibilities.” The opportunity with the Sun “could include a higher salary or contributing more on the bench during practices and gameplay.”
A Fairly great scorer joins AU
We might have a favorite for 2025 Athletes Unlimited MVP.
Dyaisha Fair, the No. 16 overall selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, will suit up for AU. Expect the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history—who accumulated 3,403 points across three seasons at Buffalo and two at Syracuse—to get plenty of buckets on the court in Nashville.
