Unrivaled already having unique impact on WNBA free agency

MIAMI — Sabrina Ionescu was asked this week about possibly recruiting her former Oregon teammate Satou Sabally to the Liberty for next season.

But before the question could be completely asked, Natasha Cloud cut in.

“We both are,” the Phoenix Mercury guard said.

Laughs may have ensued, but make no mistake about it: Cloud wasn’t joking.

Cloud is one of several players at Unrivaled working overtime this offseason to lure some of the WNBA’s top free agents to their respective teams.

“This is the best place to be able to recruit free agents,” Cloud said. “At the end of the day, I’m very much a person that’s whatever is best for Satou moving forward — that’s what I want for Satou. … I literally will give up my apartment if she wants to. But for me, the human of Satou needs to be happy so that the player of Satou can really thrive and just reach her full potential on the court.”

Unrivaled is a unique opportunity for both free agents and contracted WNBA players hoping to contend in 2025.

Relationships are being built on and off the court.

Some players are having brutally honest conversations about their experiences with their teams, while others are actively recruiting people to join theirs.

Coffees are being bought for free agents, and meetings are expected to be had in the coming days when free agency ramps up.

“There’s a ton of free agents here,” Breanna Stewart said Friday. “It’s like a one-stop shop to kind of do everything.”

Added Cloud, “It’s a really cool dynamic. Obviously, you can see when people are, like, huddled up and talking; we’ll be like, ‘No! No! No! Let me get in here and break it up.’ But it’s a good time.”

Teams can officially start talking to free agents on Tuesday, though contracts can’t be finalized until Feb. 1.

With 36 of the WNBA’s best players in Miami, agents, general managers and other team executives are expected to file through during the three-on-three basketball league’s three-month run, which began Friday night.

Stewart, Sabally, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Dijonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot are among some of the most sought-after free agents participating in Unrivaled’s inaugural season.

Stewart and Griner have already made well known their intentions to return to New York and Phoenix, respectively.

Thomas was designated a core player by the Connecticut Sun on Friday.

Meanwhile, Sabally dropped a bombshell last week, saying she had requested a trade from the Dallas Wings.

Sabally has been blown away by the amenities offered by Unrivaled.

As a player with an injury history, she’s especially fond of the tools for recovery, such as the hot and cold tubs, sauna and massages — things she doesn’t get with her current WNBA team — which could have a long-term impact on career longevity.

An improved player experience appears to be something Sabally seeks in her next WNBA destination.

The Liberty, for whom her sister Nyara Sabally already plays, could provide that, though several other teams also boast facilities that are an upgrade compared to those in Dallas.

Ionescu said, ultimately, she wants Sabally to do what’s best for her.

“I’m trying to help advise her regardless if she comes to New York or not,” Ionescu said. “I’ve known her family really well, know her really well, and I want what’s best for her. And so for me, it’s just been kind of hearing what her goals and priorities are and trying to help be that kind of friend that she can talk to about the decision she makes. And I’m never going to push her one way or another no matter how bad I want to play with her again.”

Asked how Sabally would look in a Liberty uniform, Stewart said, “She would look good in that seafoam. But I don’t even know if I’m supposed to answer that question.”