The WNBA season ended on an incredible high, with the New York Liberty clenching their first championship in 28 seasons after beating out the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the finals. And thanks to two of the finals competitors, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the excitement doesn't have to end with the 2024 season.
Stewart and Collier are launching Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league, which will take place during the WNBA off-season. Unrivaled has been rolling out announcements regarding sponsors, players, salary, and schedule since 2023 — and we've stayed on top of it all. Most recently, Collier announced that Unrivaled would be adding six more spots to its roster. "We are now moving from the 30 roster spots to 36 at Unrivaled. We're able to do this because we outperformed our financial projections," she said in a recent Instagram video.
But who exactly will be on the team? Ahead, here's everything you need to know about Unrivaled basketball, the roster, and how to tune in.
What Is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a brand-new style of 3-on-3 basketball, played on a 70-by-50-foot compressed court. Founded by Olympians and WNBA veterans Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the league will feature six teams, with likely six players on each team. The inaugural season is January 2025 and will be based in Miami located at Mediapro, a custom-designed facility that has a capacity of 850.
Who Is Playing in the Unrivaled League?
Unrivaled has officially announced all 36 players, with NY Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu as it's final recruit. The roster includes several other WNBA Finals stars (like Stewart, Collier, and Courtney Williams); respected vets like Brittany Griner and Jewell Lloyd; as well as popular rookies, Angel Reese, Kate Martin, and Rickea Jackson. You can see the full list below:
- Breanna Stewart
- Napheesa Collier
- Chelsea Gray
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Jewell Loyd
- Rhyne Howard
- Kahleah Copper
- Jackie Young
- Angel Reese
- Dearica Hamby
- Kayla McBride
- Marina Mabrey
- Satou Sabally
- Allisha Gray
- Natasha Cloud
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Rickea Jackson
- Dijonai Carrington
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Brittney Sykes
- Shakira Austin
- Tiffany Hayes
- Brittney Griner
- Azurá Stevens
- Courtney Williams
- Kate Martin
- Aaliyah Edwards
- Lexie Hull
- Aliyah Boston
- Alyssa Thomas
- Stefanie Dolson
- Rae Burrell
- Jordin Canada
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Cameron Brink
- Katie Lou Samuelson
What Unrivaled Teams Have Been Announced?
There are six basketball clubs in Unrivaled: Vinyl, Mist, Laces, Rose, Phantom, and Lunar Owls. There are currently six players on each team:
- Vinyl BC - Arike Ogunbowale (Club Captain), Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rae Burrell
- Mist BC - Breanna Stewart (Club Captain), Jewell Loyd, Dijonai Carrington, Courtney Vandersloot, Aaliyah Edwards, Rikea Jackson
- Laces BC - Alyssa Thomas (Club Captain), Jackie Young, Kayla McBride, Stefanie Dolson, Kate Martin, Tiffany Hayes
- Rose BC - Chelsea Gray (Club Captain), Angel Reese, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes, Azurá Stevens, Lexie Hull
- Phantom BC - Satou Sabally (Club Captain), Natasha Cloud, Marina Mabrey, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Katie Lou Samuelson
- Lunar Owls BC - Napheesa Collier (Club Captain), Courtney Williams, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Shakira Austin, Allisha Gray, Cameron Brink
What Unrivaled Coaches Have Been Announced?
The Unrivaled coaching staff is stacked with an all-star group of leaders, including:
- Teresa Weatherspoon - Vinyl BC
- Phil Handy - Mist BC
- Andrew Wade - Laces BC
- Nola Henry - Rose BC
- Adam Harrington - Phantom BC
- DJ Sackmann - Lunar Owls BC
When Does Unrivaled Basketball Start?
The Unrivaled season begins Jan. 17, 2025 in Miami, FL. The season will last eight weeks, including playoffs, and the six teams will play in a round-robin schedule. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will make the playoffs. There will also be a 1 v 1 championship within Unrivaled to determine the best 1 v 1 player in the world and, according to Collier, there will be a $250,000 prize.
So it's a single elimination tournament to determine the best 1v1 player in the world. And I'm ACTUALLY not supposed to say this but…first place gets minimum $250k 💰🤑 https://t.co/8Jb2DYEXhs
— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) August 9, 2024
What Will the Salary Be For Unrivaled Players?
The league is setting a record with the highest average salaries in women's sports history, starting at $100,000. All 30 initial Unrivaled players will also receive equity ownership. This is monumental for WNBA players, considering that the conversation around the league's pay gap and need to play overseas during the WNBA off-season has been a point of contention among athletes for decades.
"As elite basketball players and also moms, we get it. We get both sides of it," Stewart told PS in a recent interview, discussing the creation of Unrivaled. Stewart went on to say that she takes pride in being able to "make this league where players can stay home, have their families be close, and make sure that the W and these players are constantly relevant and top of mind and you don't have to figure out which country they're playing in overseas."
Unrivaled is also offering equity to players not on the team. In fact, it just announced several NIL partnerships with collegiate phenoms, Flau'jae Johnson and Paige Bueckers.
Where Can You Buy Unrivaled Tickets?
Tickets were released to Ticketmaster starting Nov. 21. Newsletter subscribers received exclusive early access to tickets before they go live to the public.
Where Can Fans Watch Unrivaled Basketball?
The league recently announced a multiyear partnership with TNT. You'll be able to view Unrivaled games three nights a week, according to AP News. Twice-weekly games will be featured on Mondays and Fridays on TNT, while games that are played on Saturday will be shown on truTV. All games will also be streamed on Max.
Opening night will feature Napheesa Collier and the Lunar Owls BC vs. Breanna Stewart and the Mist BC at 7 pm ET — continuing the excitement from the WNBA finals matchup. Then, Angel Reese and the Rose BC will take on Aliyah Boston and Vinyl BC at 8:15 pm ET.
Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women's health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.