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Unrivaled, the new professional women’s basketball league, is wrapping its first season, and it’s already a game changer.
WNBA stars Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) and Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) joined forces for a monumental shift in the women’s basketball world this year, bringing 36 athletes together for a unique 3-on-3 league they co-founded.
Unrivaled has featured six teams competing against each other from mid-January to mid-March, with playoffs running from March 16-17. The league also included a 1-on-1 tournament in February, where Collier walked away the winner.
Collier, who plays for Unrivaled’s Lunar Owls, and Phantom’s Katie Lou Samuelson (who is also a member of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm) spoke with TODAY.com about the origins of the league, how the game is different from the WNBA, and how their skills could translate into the upcoming WNBA season.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
How long has Unrivaled been in the works and what made you and Stewart decide to really make it happen?
Collier: It’s been a little over 2 1/2 years now, so relatively fast. But I think we had just been in the sport — both of us — for several years. By this point, we both now have children, so we kind of see the pain of having to go overseas to make your money. But a lot of people don’t realize that most of our money is made off the court through brand deals, and so when you’re overseas, you essentially go dark. You’re not able to activate with those brands, and you’re losing out on money.
And then, of course, being gone, you’re away from your home country, you’re missing holidays, you’re missing time with family. But on the other side, you still have to get better at your craft. And so we thought, with all of those things, we came up with Unrivaled. Then it kind of snowballed from there. We wanted to really change the way that you look at women’s sports in general, just what it means to pay women’s athletes, to have equity in a league that you’re playing in. So, we kind of built it from there.
Logistically, how is the game different from the WNBA?
Collier: It’s different because, obviously, there’s three people on each team instead of five, and the court is smaller. You still have two baskets, so it’s still the up-and-down game, like 5-on-5. It is 72 feet, so short of a normal court, but it’s still the same width, so it lets you see the skill set of these athletes.
We have the best women in the world playing here, and we wanted to showcase their skills. So by doing that, you get to see really just, I think, the purity of the game. You get to see their skills because you’re taking those people out a lot of times. WNBA right now is compared to the NBA of the ’80s with just how physical it is in the paint. And so for my position, I love that there’s two less people on each team where I get to work more in the paint, kind of showcase my skills.
I think also something that’s really different is the fourth quarter. So all of our quarters are shorter — they’re only seven minutes. But the fourth quarter is to a point total. So it’s 11 points from whoever’s winning in the third quarter. And it allows you to have a game winner every single game. So, I think that fast-paced nature of the game and having that really keeps the fans engaged and is a fun thing to watch every game.
Do you find it more challenging than the WNBA, or just different?
Samuelson: I think it’s more challenging in the sense of every single play, every single possession, you’re fully involved. There’s no possessions off. When you have five people on the court, you can switch and sometimes you’re not involved in the play. With this, it’s every single time you’re going, you’re doing something. And so I feel I’ve gotten in really good shape just pushing myself to run and move more. I know the court is less but in the half court I feel like I’m covering a lot more ground because of how you have to be the person filling all the spaces that normally would have five people.
Can you use a player’s game in Unrivaled to predict how they’ll play in the upcoming W season? What skills translate?
Collier: Well, I think the games are different. But I think it’s going to be really interesting to see just the way that people start their season. So, obviously, you’re going to come in really in shape. You’re going to come in, as Lou said — your usage is so high here that it forces you to get better at a rapid pace, because you’re having to use your skills, and build your defense, and you’re in every single play. So the reps that you get, you can’t simulate that working out. You have to be in a game situation.
I do think you’re going to see players come in better just because you’re forced to get better here. The games are shorter, like Lou said, but I think the usage between 5-on-5 and here is almost the same. Just because you have to work so much harder. So, I do think you’re going to see a difference. But it’s Year 1. I guess we’ll see when the season starts, but I would think that it’s going to translate over.
Samuelson: I also think it’s not necessarily the stats that may or may not be similar. But for players, I think everyone’s had different goals coming into this. I feel like, for me, I’ve used this opportunity to grow a lot more confident and comfortable on the court and knowing and trusting myself that I can be involved defensively, offensively. So, I think each player has come in here and gained different things. I think I can use that to go back to the W season and make a better impact than I’ve been able to.
Have you had to make any tweaks from your original plan starting up this league? Anything that will change next year?
Collier: Yeah, I mean, there are some things that I think we want to change. We’re essentially making this up as we go. So, some things that sound good when you’re talking through it don’t necessarily translate. For example, in the preseason, the point total was 15 at the end, and we saw that that was too long. So, we played around with shorter quarters or shorter point totals, and we landed on the seven minutes and 11 points. And I think I’ve heard a lot about the 1-on-1 tournament — like, should we separate guards and bigs? Just little things here and there. I feel like the players are happy overall, just some small things, the details, we could change for next year.
Samuelson: Yeah, and again, it’s different. It’s not the same as 5-on-5, so it’s like a different sport almost the way it’s played. As players, we aren’t expecting it to feel the same way. So whatever things need to change, I think we’ll adjust to it and figure that out. But as players, I’ve enjoyed playing it. I think the changing from 15 to 11 was a big help, just from preseason to the actual games.
Socially, how is Unrivaled different? I’ve heard you compare being together to being in the bubble in 2020 for the WNBA.
Collier: I think in the bubble, you got really close with your team. We were on a huge campus, so I just interacted with the other teams a little bit, like, you see them in passing. But here, everything is communal, except for our locker rooms. Like, we have communal training rooms, a sauna, a cold tub, eating. So, I think we’re closer in proximity here now than we were in the bubble. I think that’s a little different.
But I think it’s just interesting to see, especially during free agency. Next year especially is going to be really interesting when 80% of the league is off their contracts, plus two expansion teams, just the conversations that are going to be had. I think it’s going to be definitely a hot spot for people, because it’s just naturally a lot of recruiting is going to be going on here.
Who is a dream player to have on your team?
Collier: Katie Lou Samuelson.
Samuelson: (Laughs) Maybe we’ll team up in Unrivaled next year.
Collier: Yeah, so my teammates all got $10K just because the teammates of the winners did. But yeah, I gave some to the coaches and our training staff and our weightlifting staff and some of the people, like, in the front office, just because we’re a startup. I know they work so hard. They’re here for, like, 12-hour days, every single day. And I just wanted to say a thank you to them.
Katie, you just signed with the Seattle Storm. How do you think this year will look compared to (your previous team) the Indiana Fever?
Samuelson: I feel like there’s a good opportunity for me in Seattle. I think this year, specifically for me, I sat out two years ago because I was pregnant and had a baby, and then this past season was probably the hardest year physically I ever had, physically and mentally in Indiana. So, I was juggling and dealing with a lot more than just being able to focus on basketball and myself.
I feel like going into this season, I’m in the best shape I’ve been in two years. I feel very fit, and I feel like I’m just able to focus on the basketball and have fun again playing. So, that’s something that I feel like I’ve missed out on, and it’ll be whatever role I’m needed in. I’m ready to step up, but I’m excited to get back to Seattle and play there.
What are the plans for the two months between Unrivaled wrapping and the WNBA season starting in May?
Samuelson: I want to stay in shape. I know I can take a little break, but not too much, because I just want to keep the momentum going.
Collier: I think a little bit of travel. But same as Lou, you definitely don’t want to get out of shape. It takes so long to get in shape. It takes, like, 10 days to get out of shape. It sucks. Then I’ll probably go to Minnesota early and start training for the season.
Samuelson: This has been great for me. I’ve played overseas quite a bit, and I feel like that’s much more of a training process, just in general, to do that, to be so far away from home, to travel and play so much during that offseason. Then this, for me, has been such a breath of fresh air to be here, train, everything you need all in one area. And it’s not just a season — yes, we’re having a season — but there’s so much emphasis on skill development and player development, that it’s just been really nice to be involved.
