Since the birth of Unrivaled, the husband of Napheesa Collier has been instrumental in helping the new league get started. Less than two weeks before the opening night, he was amazed by training videos of one of the big names competing in the inaugural season.
Among those who signed up to play in Unrivaled this year is Skylar Diggins-Smith, who will make a base salary of $214,466 in 2025, according to Spotrac. She will be playing alongside Collier on the Lunar Owls.
Over the weekend, the team’s official Instagram page shared a video clip of the WNBA All-Star causing a trainer to fall during shooting drills.
This post quickly garnered attention online, with many people commenting on it. Notable commenters included Napheesa Collier’s husband, Alex Bazzell, and fellow Unrivaled competitor Dearica Hamby.
Hamby is part of the “Vinly Basketball Club” team alongside Arike Ogunbowale and Aliyah Boston.
Diggins-Smith is coming off her first season with the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. The six-time All-Star had an impressive regular season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Diggins-Smith and the Lunar Owls will be playing on the opening night of Unrivaled’s history, facing off against “Mist” on January 17 at 7:00 pm Eastern Time.
Napheesa Collier’s husband reacts to Lynx star’s social media post
Leading up to the start of the Unrivaled season, teams held a media day over the weekend. After fulfilling all her obligations, Napheesa Collier shared behind-the-scenes moments on social media.
The Minnesota Lynx star posted photos from media day on her Instagram, including team photos and shots of her husband and child.
Among those who commented on Napheesa Collier’s post was her husband, Alex Bazzell, who left a series of heart-eyed emojis in response.
Collier and Bazzell first met during her college career at UConn. Their relationship grew as he became a trainer for the women’s program. They got engaged in the fall of 2019, welcomed their daughter Mila two years later, and officially tied the knot in 2022.
Amid their basketball careers and family life, Collier and Bazzell also played a role in building the innovative women’s sports league, Unrivaled.
Edited by Kevin McCormick
