On Friday, November 15, Unrivaled — the highly anticipated 3×3 league set to debut in January 2025 — announced the six head coaches that will lead the inaugural campaign and its recently announced teams.
Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league started by Napheesa Collier & Breanna Stewart, has named its six teams:
◾Laces Basketball Club◾Mist Basketball Club◾Phantom Basketball Club◾Lunar Owls Basketball Club◾Rose Basketball Club◾Vinyl Basketball Club pic.twitter.com/UGSTxn0PLE
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) October 24, 2024
To save you some scrolling, here are the half-dozen at the helm (with more information further below!)
Phil HandyAdam HarringtonNola HenryDJ SackmannAndrew WadeTeresa Weatherspoon
A league source said player development was a particular area of interest in the selection of these coaching assignments, and the league is thinking outside the box to ensure a level playing field. On Wednesday, in the Unrivaled newsletter, the league announced the creative process that will decide the rosters:
Players are Organized into Pods: All Unrivaled players are grouped by position into six pods — Pods A through F — with each pod featuring either Guards, Wings, or Bigs. This setup ensures talent is balanced and that each club has a diverse range of players.
Collaborative Coaching Process: Our six head coaches will work together to select one player from each pod for each of the six clubs. They’ll focus on creating well-rounded, competitively balanced rosters while keeping an eye on exciting player combos that fans—like you—want to see in action.
The Mystery Twist: Here’s the catch — none of the coaches will know which club is theirs until AFTER all six rosters are fully set. This will ultimately ensure fairness and keep everyone on their toes.
Unrivaled also shared one of their fun Twitter explainers to showcase how this will all go down.
You know the Club Selection process will drop on NOVEMBER 20TH but how will it work🤔 pic.twitter.com/2yVsUda3wd
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) November 14, 2024
With all the coaches collaborating on building balanced teams — and with everyone incentivized towards that equitable construction — we’re sure to see exciting matchups all winter long. Throughout the Unrivaled season, players are expected to attend press conferences regularly, both after games and on select practice days (both in person and virtually). The six head coaches are scheduled to hold their first media availability amidst a flurry of Unrivaled news on Nov. 20, once the list of the 36 competing athletes has been finalized. (As of this writing, we have 32 names already announced, highlighted by the co-founders, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.)
Phil Handy
Phil Handy is a familiar name to basketball fans, having coached in the NBA since 2011 as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors (and winning a title with each of those organizations [‘16 CLE, ‘19 TOR, and ‘20 LAL]). A former guard himself, he specializes in development, posting workout drills to his YouTube channel with some of the best women’s hoopers, including Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, and JuJu Watkins.
Adam Harrington
Adam Harrington also has an NBA background as a developmental coach, following a playing career both in the states and abroad. Most recently, he worked with the Brooklyn Nets, both as an assistant coach and as the director of player development.
Harrington, alongside Clark Machemer, created The Clubhouse, a basketball clinic in Orange, NJ that created “a safe and inclusive space for youngsters and professionals to hone their skills.”
Nola Henry
Nola Henry is — you guessed it! — a developmental coach who has spent time on Curt Miller’s coaching staffs with the Los Angeles Sparks and, previously, the Connecticut Sun. She even has a game of head coaching experience under her belt, stepping in for Miller during a one-game absence this past May. “If it’s one thing I learned from Curt, it’s how to prepare,” Henry said at the time. “That’s probably the number one thing he’s taught me.”
DJ Sackmann
DJ Sackmann is a skills coach and basketball clinician. He’s worked one-on-one with both WNBA and NBA players, and he offers mentorship programs to up-and-coming athletes with gametape breakdown. Sackmann has amassed a large social media following for his workouts, totalling more than 2 million across his platforms.
Andrew Wade
Andrew Wade has WNBA ties, currently working with the Washington Mystics as a Head Video Coordinator and Player Development Assistant. Here, via Immersion Basketball’s YouTube page, he breaks down some film and explains its importance in preparation.
Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon is a NYC hoops legend, playing with the New York Liberty and the Sparks in the WNBA’s early years, and she was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. She’s got a background in coaching, most recently heading the young-but-fun Chicago Sky. T-Spoon’s developmental work, especially with rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, made her a quick favorite among the young players in Chicago during her short stint there.
Make sure you’re following Unrivaled across social media, because on November 20, we’ll all get to see where the rosters end up, with a reveal of the team breakdowns and the coaching assignments. Ticket presales will also start that day. Be sure to stay locked in with Winsidr for all major news and coverage of this exciting new endeavor.
