WNBA player Kate Martin gave fans a glimpse of the new Unrivaled league’s practice facility. Martin, drafted by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA expansion draft, signed with the 3-on-3 league as the 27th player and will play for the Laces Basketball Club.
Recently, Martin shared a photo of the Unrivaled practice facility on her Instagram story, showcasing a well-lit basketball court with LED screens displaying the league’s name and logo.
Here is Martin’s Instagram post:
The Unrivaled league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, offers premium practice facilities and housing for its players in the upcoming 2025 season. The league ensures that all players and teams are well accommodated throughout the nine-week tournament.
In addition to top-notch facilities, the league has allocated a salary pool of $8 million for the 36 players participating in the games, allowing them to earn a minimum of $200,000 during the WNBA offseason.
One of the league’s objectives is to provide players with the option to stay in the country and earn money rather than playing overseas, which has been standard practice for women’s basketball players for years.
Kate Martin headlines the Laces’ six-woman roster in the Unrivaled league, alongside players like Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Jackie Young, Kayla McBride, and Alyssa Thomas. The team is coached by Andrew Wade.
During her rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces, Martin averaged 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 34 games.
The league is set to kick off on Jan. 17 in Miami, Florida, with broadcasts available on TNT, TruTV, and Max via online stream.
Unrivaled Aims to Provide ‘Generational Wealth’ to Players
The Unrivaled league was established with the goal of enabling women basketball players to attain wealth in their careers.
According to co-founder Napheesa Collier, the league seeks to leverage the rising popularity of women’s basketball and help players earn “generational wealth” from it.
“Women’s sports are on the rise, and it seems like everyone is benefiting from that except the women in the sport. This is something we are looking to change and create generational wealth for these women,” Collier said in an interview with ‘We Need To Talk’ in 2023.
“From the beginning, [Stewart] and I set out to create a league that was built on the principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflects their value.”
While the specific contracts are not disclosed, the league is expected to pay players an average of $222,222 for their participation, slightly higher than the WNBA’s maximum contract of around $214,000.
Edited by R. Elahi
