Unrivaled Basketball League is set to launch in January, and it’s shaping up to be pretty epic. For the first time, the WNBA’s biggest stars have the option of staying and playing in the U.S during the offseason rather than going overseas, thanks to Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The UConn duo is launching a new 3×3 basketball league that will take place in Miami for 8 weeks during the winter, offering a $150,000 base salary, ownership equity, and lots of other unique elements, including a one-on-one tournament with a $250,000 cash prize.
The big question so far has been who’s playing. The league has had some fun with the rollout, teasing the names of participants by providing clues online and revealing a new star every couple of days. That’s helped increase attention and buzz around the league, fueling lots of speculation regarding who’s in and who’s out.
What we do know is that there’s going to be 30 women’s basketball stars partaking in the inaugural year, which will be comprised of six teams made up of five players each. So far, the names of 15 WNBA stars have been revealed: Allisha Gray (Dream), Angel Reese (Sky), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Chelsea Gray (Aces), Dearica Hamby (Sparks), Jackie Young (Aces), Jewell Loyd (Storm), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Marina Mabrey (Sun), Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Dream), and Satou Sabally (Wings).
Notably absent from that list are 12 All-Stars from the 2024 season: DeWanna Bonner (Sun), Brionna Jones (Sun), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Nneka Ogwumike (Storm), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Alyssa Thomas (Sun), A’ja Wilson (Aces), Caitlin Clark (Fever), and Aliyah Boston (Fever).
Some of those are likely to play (I’d put my money on A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu) while others are more likely to use the time to rest (I’d imagine that 42-year-old Diana Taurasi and 37-year-old DeWanna Bonner look at the winter as a chance for offseason recovery).
Will Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, Cameron Brink play in Unrivaled?
Napheesa Collier, one of the league’s co-founders, has already confirmed that four rookies will participate in Unrivaled. So far, only one — Angel Reese — has been revealed, and earlier this month, she explained why she chose to play.
Angel Reese on joining Unrivaled, the 3v3 league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier: “Nobody wants to go overseas.” pic.twitter.com/zGfBYFbdXL
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) August 7, 2024
“Being able to be in Miami from January to March, not having to go overseas,” Reese said. “Nobody wants to go overseas. A lot of us never wanna have to go overseas, but some people do have to go overseas unfortunately, so being able to make six figures within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better.
“Being able to know two great players that are starting something, I think it’s amazing. 3-on-3 is something that I love to do, I haven’t been able to play competitively but I think I can work on some of my individual skills because 3-on-3 exposes everything. So I’m excited for it.”
Kate Martin is also a name that should be considered. While Martin has had a smaller on-court role than the other players mentioned, from a marketing standpoint, she’d be a huge get. Her jersey is already the fourth-highest selling jersey in the league this year, and Unrivaled is incentivized to bring in the league’s most popular players as they get the concept off the ground.
Plus, Martin is teammates with Aces guards Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum, all of whom have been revealed as Unrivaled participants, so it’s very possible they veterans sold her on the idea of participating. The trio of Olympians have all praised Martin for her maturity and well-rounded play this year.
In the coming weeks, as the rollout continues, we’ll learn which rookies we’ll see in Miami in January, and whether Iowa stars Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin make the cut. For now, we’ll have to await more hints from Unrivaled’s official social media accounts.
