For much of the WNBA’s history, its best players have left home as soon as the season ended to go play overseas, often for more money. Only in recent years, with the arrival of higher salaries and better endorsement deals, has that trend started to change.
Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are trying to permanently alter the women’s professional basketball landscape with their new league, Unrivaled, which tips off in January 2025 and seeks to provide an alternative source of competition and income for WNBA players during the offseason.
“For a long time, going overseas was the only option that people had in their offseason, and so this is kind of changing the narrative around that and giving another option,” Collier said earlier this year. “Overseas is a great option for some players, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you can do to make money and play basketball and get better.”
Ahead of what should be a fascinating winter, here’s everything you need to know about Unrivaled.
Who’s playing?
That is perhaps the most important question. Initially, Unrivaled stated that it would feature “30 of the top professional players in women’s basketball.” However, Collier announced on Oct. 31 that the league would be expanded to 36 players because they “outperformed our financial projections.”
The full player pool has not yet been released, but 34 of the 36 spots have been filled. Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, who is married to Collier, told Sportico that the league eventually hopes to expand to eight teams and 48 players in the coming years.
Stewart and Collier are leading the charge, of course, along with other stars such as Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. Thus far, there are three members of the excellent 2024 rookie class in the mix: Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, and Aaliyah Edwards.
Despite the league’s best efforts, Caitlin Clark is not in that group. She has decided not to participate, according to Michael Voepel.
Here are the players confirmed for the first season of Unrivaled.
There are six teams with six players each, and the rosters were chosen by a selection committee that “splits the teams by position & skill,” Collier wrote on social media. The rosters were announced via a YouTube video on Nov. 20. As two open spots remain, two teams only have five players for the time being.
Laces BC
– Stefanie Dolson
– Lexie Hull
– Kayla McBride
– Kelsey Plum
– Alyssa Thomas
– Courtney Williams
– Head coach: Andrew Wade
Lunar Owls BC
– Shakira Austin
– Natasha Cloud
– Napheesa Collier
– Skylar Diggins-Smith
– Allisha Gray
– Kate Martin
– Head coach: DJ Sackmann
Mist BC
– DiJonai Carrington
– Aaliay Edwards
– Rickea Jackson
– Jewell Loyd
– Breanna Stewart
– Courtney Vandersloot
– Head coach: Phil Handy
Phantom BC
– Brittney Griner
– Tiffany Hayes
– Marina Mabrey
– Satou Sabally
– Jackie Young
– Wildcard
– Head coach: Adam Harrington
Rose BC
– Kahleah Copper
– Chelsea Gray
– Angel Reese
– Azura Stevens
– Brittney Sykes
– Wildcard
– Head coach: Nola Henry
Vinyl BC
– Aaliyah Boston
– Rae Burrell
– Jordin Canada
– Dearica Hamby
– Rhyne Howard
– Arike Ogunbowale
– Head coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
When does the season start?
The inaugural season will tip off on Jan. 17 and will run for eight weeks. Games will be played on Monday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
TNT Sports has acquired the broadcast rights and will show Monday and Friday games on TNT and Saturday games on truTV. All games will be available for streaming on Max.
A full schedule will be released at a later date.
What will the games look like?
One of the many reasons that Unrivaled is unique is that the games will be 3-on-3, yet played on a slightly shorter fullcourt. The Unrivaled floor, which will be 70 feet long is about three-fourths the length of the WNBA’s 94-foot long court. The playing surface’s 50-foot width will remain the same. Furthermore, they will play four, seven-minute quarters instead of the 10-minute quarters used by the WNBA.
A full set of rules regarding shot clock length, amount of fouls allowed, etc. has not yet been released, though Collier said on social media that it will look like “normal basketball with more spacing.”
What is the season format?
The season will last for eight weeks, including the playoffs.
There will be two games on each game night, and the six teams will play each other in a round-robin format. The top-four teams in the standings will advance to the playoffs. A playoff format has not yet been announced.
Unrivaled is building its own facility in Miami, which will be the league’s home base this season.
How much will players be paid?
Exact salaries will not be disclosed, but each player will make a minimum of six figures and also receive equity in the league.
One of the primary reasons that Stewart and Collier created Unrivaled was to give players a chance to earn significant money, not just now, but for years to come.
“Women’s sports is on such a rise, and it feels like everyone is benefiting from that except the women in the sport, and obviously that’s something we’re trying to change and then also create generational wealth for these women,” Collier told “We Need to Talk” last year. “From the beginning, [Stewart] and I really set out to create a league that was founded on that principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflect their value.”
Will there be coaches?
Yes, each team will have a head coach, one assistant coach, and a team manager. Unrivaled announced the head coaches on Nov. 15. As of now, they are unaffiliated with a specific team. Notable names include former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon and former Los Angeles Lakers assistant Phil Handy.
Here’s the full list:
– Phil Handy
– Adam Harrington
– Nola Henry
– DJ Sackmann
– Andrew Wade
– Teresa Weatherspoon
What about the 1-on-1 tournament?
Another unique aspect of Unrivaled is that it will feature a 1-on-1 tournament in the middle of the season to determine the best 1-on-1 player in the world. The single-elimination event will take place in February, and the winner will receive a $250,000 prize.
Further details regarding the rules and bracket will be released at a later date.
