Maybe you’ve seen some of the buzz online, maybe you’ve never heard of it, but Unrivaled Basketball is the hottest new thing in women’s basketball in the United States, and we think it deserves every bit of the hype. Unrivaled is a league founded by superstars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in an attempt to give WNBA players a viable (lucrative) offseason alternative to traveling to play overseas. The league promises players the highest average salary of any women’s sports league in the world. Unrivaled will play its inaugural 2 month season in Florida starting this month, and we’ve got everything you need to know before tuning in.
The league will feature 6 clubs (check them all out here!) with 6 players per roster. Unrivaled is 3x3 basketball, with one unique twist to the Fiba version you may have seen in the Olympics: it’s played on a full sized court. This format will demand different skills from traditional 5x5 play, and it will be intriguing to see who flourishes and struggles with nowhere to hide. Each club will play 14 games in the condensed regular season, which begins on Friday, January 17th just outside of Miami, Florida. The season will be broken up by a 3 day 1v1 tournament on February 10th, 13th and 14th, and conclude with the finals on Monday, March 17th. The full schedule is available here, and all games will be available to watch on Max, as well as TNT and TruTV.
Source: Unrivaled
With co-founders of the league and 2024 finals’ Queens Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier locked in, a lot of early buzz about the league centered around who would join them. There were early signings announced and some that took a little more time, and of course there were Caitlin Clark rumors and rumors about those rumors. With the 36 player roster now set, here’s who we’re excited to see run the floor this season:
A dominant fixture of the W since 2014, Chelsea Grey is now a crucial piece of the Las Vegas Aces’ roster. Grey won Finals MVP and the ‘chip to go along in 2022, helping her team win it all again in 2023. She’s known as the Point Gawd, so watch out for her fancy facilitating all over the court. Jewell Loyd has been with the Seattle Storm for 10 years, but don’t let her seniority fool you. She seems to be getting better with age, and averaged almost 20 points per game in the 2024 W season. Watch as she finds creative ways to get the ball in the net, Gold Mamba style. Runner up to the league MVP trophy in 2023, Alyssa Thomas is a one of a kind player. Even with two torn labrums, AT continues to defy categorization as she is an elite defender, passer, scorer and playmaker. We can’t wait to see her bring her unique style and grit to Unrivaled.
#1 pick and rookie of the year in the 2022 season, Rhyne Howard hasn’t slowed down since. What makes her one to watch this season? Her experience playing for Team USA in the 3x3 tournament. She ultimately helped Team USA overcome a sluggish start to win a bronze medal, and she’s sure to give her team an edge this season. Dearica Hamby was on the Most Improved Player watch list this season for a reason: even as a vet of the league she continues to put new skills in her pocket. Following Cameron Brink’s ACL injury, Hamby was put on the 3x3 Paris roster alongside Howard, and also proves that she has what it takes to excel in a fast paced environment on the court.
Kate Martin Fan favorite Kate “Money” Martin was a surprise utility player for the Aces this season after being drafted from the crowd back in April. Out from underneath Caitlin Clark’s shadow at Iowa, Martin showed us all she can hold her own, especially by knocking down key corner threes. She was recently selected from the Aces in the expansion draft by the Valkyries, so we know the league is also paying attention to her rising stock. There was a lot of talk that LSU star Angel Reese’s skills wouldn’t translate to the W, but the haters couldn’t have been proved more wrong. Reese set a league record for most consecutive double-doubles and finished her rookie season with the Chicago Sky averaging 13.6 points per game along with 13.1 rebounds. Although a wrist injury cut her season short, she’s ready to go to work under the basket for Unrivaled, and we can’t wait to watch. Mystics rookie Aaliyah Edwards flew under the radar in 2024, largely because without some key stars, the Mystics had an unimpressive season, missing out on the playoffs. Despite only playing about 20 minutes per game, Edwards averaged 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals on the season. Keep an eye on this rook!
It’d be hard to talk about the Unrivaled Rosters without talking about who isn’t on them. Two of the biggest WNBA stars, A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, will not be joining the league this year. When Sabrina Ionescu was similarly uninvolved, fans speculated that Nike was preventing its biggest sponsored athletes from participation, as Nike is not (yet!) an official partner of Unrivaled. However, Ionescu recently signed with Unrivaled as a wild card player, leaving the reason for Wilson’s and Clark’s absences back up for debate. Many speculate that Clark simply needed a break after her final collegiate year and rookie year in the W back to back, and Wilson certainly doesn’t have anything more she needs to prove. We’ll just have to wait until May to see our favorite superstars back in action in the W.
Check out the full list of players here.
Unrivaled has exceeded any and all expectations in terms of sponsorship deals. It is proving that its small size is an asset rather than a stumbling block in getting new partners on board. Unrivaled has inked deals with Wilson, Miller Lite, State Farm, Samsung Galaxy and Vistaprint, among others. Another exciting partnership Unrivaled has made is with makeup giant Sephora, who recently inked a groundbreaking deal with the WNBA’s first Canadian franchise, the Toronto Tempo. All of these partnerships have enabled Unrivaled to create top-notch facilities, something that not every WNBA team has made a priority. Some teams, such as the Chicago Sky or the Connecticut Sun, still don’t have their own dedicated practice facility. Veteran Alyssa Thomas spoke for all the players when she saw the ways in which Unrivaled is different: "The whole thing is impressive. They have top-of-the-line everything. Treating us the way we are supposed to be treated."
There is no lack of star power on the court, but off the court the league is backed by some similarly shiny names. Athletes from every generation have seen the growth in women’s basketball, and are eager to back the new league. Former greats like Michael Phelps and Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Wie West and Carmelo Anthony are all involved, all the way down to college sophomore Juju Watkins, and seniors Paige Bueckers and Flau’jae Johnson. Tennis phenom Coco Gauff was one of the latest to put money behind the league, joking that her dad had always hoped she’d play basketball, and this was as close as she was likely to get.
Maybe you already have chosen a team, but if you haven’t, you might be wondering which club is right for you! Read on to get to know each of the 6 inaugural clubs.
Jackie Young
Tiffany Hayes
Kayla McBride
Alyssa Thomas
Kate Martin
Stefanie Dolson
Head Coach Andrew Wade
You’re a Laces fan if…your team is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. You love an underdog and are here for all the heartbreak.
Napheesa Collier
Courtney Williams
Skyler Diggins Smith
Allisha Gray
Shakira Austin
Cameron Brink (starting the 2026 season)
Head Coach DJ Sackmann
You’re a Lunar Owls fan if…you love watching pretty basketball. These players will dance across the court in Miami.
Breanna Stewart
Dijonai Carrington
Jewell Loyd
Aaliyah Edwards
Rickea Jackson
Head Coach Phil Handy
You’re a Mist fan if… you love watching Stewie and how she’ll lead a new superteam. Great for vintage Seattle Storm fans.
Satou Sabally
Marina Mabrey
Brittney Griner
Natasha Cloud
Katie Lou Samuelson
Sabrina Ionescu
Head Coach Adam Harrington
You’re a Phantom fan if… you love players that aren’t afraid to talk a little smack. Phantom comes stacked with all sorts of talent, and they’ll let you know it.
Angel Reese
Chelsea Grey
Brittney Sykes
Kahleah Copper
Azurá Stevens
Lexie Hull
Head Coach Nola Henry
You’re a Rose fan if… you love defense and fast paced plays. You want players who can take care of the basketball on both sides of the court and you’re excited to see some new player combinations.
Arike Ogunbowale
Rae Burrell
Rhyne Howard
Aliyah Boston
Jordin Canada
Dearica Hamby
Head Coach Theresa Weatherspoon
You’re a Vinyl fan if… you’re a student of the game! Feat. our 3x3 specialists, expect coach Weatherspoon to be drawing up creative plays to bring this group to new heights.
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