On Friday, women’s professional basketball officially enters a new era when Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league co-founded by Brianna Stewart and Nafeesa Collier, opens in Miami. The league is trying to provide WNBA players with an alternative source of competition and income during the offseason.
“For a long time, the only option people had in the off-season was to go overseas, but this changes the narrative around that situation and gives you another option,” Collier said earlier this year. . “Overseas is a great option for some players, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you can do to make money and get better at playing basketball.”
Ahead of the magical winter, here’s everything you need to know about Unrivaled.
Who’s playing?
That’s probably the most important question. Unrivaled originally said it would feature “30 of the top professional women’s basketball players.” However, Collier announced on Oct. 31 that the league would expand the number of players to 36 players because it had “exceeded financial projections.”
On December 23, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu joined the team as the 36th player, filling the roster. Unrivaled chairman Alex Buzzell, who is married to Collier, told Sportico that he hopes the league will eventually expand to eight teams and 48 players over the next few years.
Of course, Stewart and Collier are leading the way, along with other stars like Brittney Griner, Jewell Lloyd, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. So far, the talented 2024 rookie class has four members: Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, Rikea Jackson and Aaliyah Edwards. Brink, who is still recovering from a torn ACL, signed a two-year contract with Unrivaled and will not play in the 2025 season.
Despite the league’s best effortsCaitlin Clark is not part of that group. she decided not to participate. Additionally, Kelsey Plumb changed his mind about the play. The Aces star was originally on the roster, but announced on Nov. 27 that he was withdrawing “to take some more time for myself this offseason.”
On January 17, Natisha Heedemann was signed as a “relief player” by Phantoms BC after Marina Mabry injured her calf. Heedemann will remain on the roster for the remainder of the 2025 season, but it’s unclear what will happen when Mabry returns.
The players confirmed for the first season of Unrivaled are:
Collier wrote on social media that there are six teams with six players on each team, and that the rosters were chosen by a selection committee that “divided the teams by position and skill.” list has been announced Via a YouTube video on November 20th.
shoelaces bc
Stephanie Dolson Tiffany Hayes Kate Martin Kayla McBride Alyssa Thomas Jackie Young Head Coach: Andrew Wade
Lunar Owl BC
Shakira Austin Cameron Brinknafeesa Collier Skyler Diggins-Smith Alesha Gray Courtney Williams Head Coach: DJ Sackman
Mist BC
Dijonai Carrington Allie Edwards Ricky Jackson Jewell Lloyd Brianna Stewart Courtney Vandersloot Head Coach: Phil Handy
Phantom BC
Natasha Cloud Brittney Greiner Natisha Heedeman*Sabrina Iones Kumarina Mabry Sato Sabally Katie Lou Samuelson Head Coach: Adam Harrington
*Hedeman was signed as a “relief player” on Jan. 17 due to Mabry’s calf injury and is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks.
Rose BC
Carlea CopperChelsea GrayLexi HalAngel ReeseAzura StevensBrittney SykesHead Coach: Nora Henry
Vinyl BC
Aliyah BostonRay BurrellJordan CanadaDiarika HambyLine HowardArike OgunbowaleHead Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
When does the season start?
The first season opens on January 17th and lasts eight weeks. Matches are played on Monday, Friday and Saturday nights.
TNT Sports has acquired the broadcast rights, with Monday and Friday’s games being aired on TNT and Saturday’s game being aired on truTV. All games will be available to stream on Max.
The full schedule was announced in November..
What are the rules of these games?
One of the many things that makes Unrivaled unique is that the matches are 3v3, but are played in full court, which is slightly shorter. At 70 feet long, Unrivaled’s floor is roughly three-quarters of the length of the WNBA’s 94-foot court. The 50-foot width of the playing surface remains unchanged.
“This game has its roots in the way we played basketball when we were kids wearing black tops,” Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper told ESPN. “There’s a flow. There’s a pace. When you watch it, it feels like you’re watching basketball… It’s not a gimmick.”
Instead of four 10-minute quarters like the WNBA employs, Unrivaled will play three seven-minute quarters, followed by an Elam Ending, or first quarter that utilizes what the league calls a “winning score.” Play 4 quarters. The winning score is determined by adding 11 points to the leading team’s score at the end of the third quarter. Both teams then play an untimed fourth quarter aiming for a target score. If the score is 60-50 after three quarters, the winning score is 71, and the first team to reach 71 points wins. Overtime is not possible in this format.
To further speed up the game, the shot clock will be 18 seconds, much shorter than the 24 seconds used in the WNBA and the 30 seconds used in college games.
Regarding fouls, a player fouls out after accumulating 6 personal points. Additionally, each time you reach the line, you only get one free throw. If a player is fouled on a 2-point shot, the free throw is worth 2 points, and a 3-point shot is worth 3 points. Even in an and-one situation, the only free throw is worth one point.
What is the seasonal format?
The season lasts nine weeks, including the playoffs.
Two games will be played each game night, with six teams competing in a round-robin format. The top four teams in the standings will advance to the playoffs, which will be a one-shot competition.
Unrivaled will build its own facility in Miami, which will be the league’s home this season.
How much will players be paid?
Although exact salaries will not be disclosed, each player will earn at least six figures and will also receive league rights. In an interview with SB Nation in December, Buzzell said Unrivaled’s salary pool is more than $8 million.. That would bring the average salary to $222,222.
One of the main reasons Stewart and Collier created Unrivaled was to give players the opportunity to make a lot of money not just now, but for years to come.
“Women’s sport is really on the rise and I feel like everyone is benefiting from it except for the women in sport. We’re building generational wealth for women across the world,” Collier said. “Need to Talk” last year. “From the beginning, (Stewart) and I were serious about creating a league based on the principle that players would be compensated and owned to reflect their worth.”
Do you have a coach?
Yes, each team will have a head coach, an assistant coach, and a team manager. Unrivaled announced their head coach on November 15th. Prominent names include former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon and former Los Angeles Lakers assistant Phil Handy.
Here is the complete list:
Phil Handy (Mist BC) Adam Harrington (Phantom BC) Nora Henry (Rose BC) DJ Sackman (Lunar Owls BC) Andrew Wade (Race BC) Teresa Weatherspoon (Record BC)
What about 1v1 tournaments?
Another unique aspect of Unrivaled is that a mid-season 1v1 tournament is held to determine the best 1v1 player in the world. The single-elimination event will be held in February, with the winner receiving a $250,000 prize. Additionally, the winning player’s teammates will each receive $10,000.
Details such as rules and combinations will be announced at a later date.
