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Unrivaled (basketball league)

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Unrivaled
Upcoming season or competition:
Current sports event 2025 Unrivaled season
SportBasketball (three-on-three)
FoundedJuly 6, 2023; 16 months ago (2023-07-06)
FounderNapheesa Collier
Breanna Stewart
First season2025
PresidentAlex Bazzell
CommissionerMicky Lawler
No. of teams6
CountriesUnited States
HeadquartersMiami, Florida
TV partner(s)
Official websiteUnrivaled

Unrivaled is a women's professional three-on-three basketball league based in the United States.

History

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The league was founded in 2023 by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, in part to allow WNBA players to play domestically and to bypass complications from the WNBA's prioritization rule for players who choose to play overseas in the WNBA offseason. Unrivaled's inaugural season is slotted to begin on January 17, 2025 in Miami, Florida[1] with plans for the 2026 season to have games played across the United States.[2]

The league announced Breanna Stewart as the first signed player on July 9, 2024.[3] In August, it was announced that Paige Bueckers had signed a name, image, and likeness deal with Unrivaled, with plans for Bueckers to make her Unrivaled debut in the 2026 season.[a][5]

Rules

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Games will be played on a full court with two ends, and consist of four, seven-minute quarters; as opposed to on a half-court, with a single, ten-minute period in FIBA 3x3 basketball competitions.[6] The size of the court is smaller in length than those used in the WNBA – measuring 70 ft (21 m) × 50 ft (15 m), instead of 94 ft (29 m) × 50 ft (15 m).[7]

Teams

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On October 24, the inaugural six team names were announced.[8] Teams do not have geographic connections, although the branding was created with a consideration for potential future sale and relocation of the teams.[8] The rosters for each team are decided by a selection committee that sorts players based on their position and skill level.[1][9] Each team will have a head coach, an assistant coach, and a team manager.[10]

2025 Unrivaled teams
Team Joined Head coach
Laces BC 2025 Andrew Wade
Lunar Owls BC 2025 DJ Sackman
Mist BC 2025 Phil Handy
Phantom BC 2025 Adam Harrington
Rose BC 2025 Nola Henry
Vinyl BC 2025 Teresa Weatherspoon

Business

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Finances and sponsorships

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In May 2024, it was announced that John Skipper, a former ESPN president, and David Levy, a former Turner president, had invested in Unrivaled and would be at the helm of the league's media rights and sponsorship sales.[1][6] Other notable early investors include Koby Altman, Carmelo Anthony, Geno Auriemma, Moira Forbes, Desiree Gruber, Tre Jones, Tyus Jones, Ashton Kutcher, Alex Morgan, Steve Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Richard and Ann Sarnoff, Dan Rosensweig, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Michelle Wie West.[1][6][11] Also in May 2024, Unrivaled announced that they had closed their seed funding.[11]

In July 2024, Ally Financial was announced as Unrivaled's first and founding brand partner.[12][13] Ally will be the league-wide jersey sponsor, assist in media spending and negotiations, "activat[e] hospitality and fan engagement opportunities, and [appear] in online/digital content and in-arena signage."[12] In November 2024 Unrivaled announced their multi-year sponsorship with State Farm and that the company would be the presenting sponsor for the 2025 Club Selection announcement show on November 20, 2024.[14]

Player salaries and revenue

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Unrivaled will offer players in the league contract opportunities to receive the highest average salary in U.S. women's professional sports and a minimum six-figure salary.[11][15] The winner of the 2025 1v1 mid-season tournament will earn a minimum of $250,000.[16][17]

Additionally to create an athlete-centric and player-owned league, Unrivaled will offer the inaugural players equity in the league for at least the first year[6] with an "equity pool that will vest over a four-year period."[18]

For the 2025 season, players will also be provided local housing with access to gym and practice facilities paid for by the league.[19]

Unrivaled leadership

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Alex Bazzell, a renowned basketball skills coach and Collier's husband, is the first and current president of Unrivaled.[11] In June 2024, Micky Lawler, a former Women's Tennis Association president, was named the commissioner of the league.[20][21] On November 11, 2024, Clare Duwelius (former general manager of the Minnesota Lynx) was announced as executive vice president and general manager of the league and Luke Cooper, the president of basketball operations.[22]

Broadcasting

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The 2025 season will be aired on TNT and TruTV, and streamed on Max.[23]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ At the time of signing, Bueckers had two more years of NCAA eligibility. She was expected to end her college career after the 2024–25 season and make her Unrivaled debut after the 2025 WNBA season.[4]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Negley, Cassandra (May 30, 2024). "Unrivaled basketball league set to feature serious salaries and has the backing of some major names". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Nelson, Jenn. "Unrivaled League Surpasses Financial Projections, Expands Roster To 36". Forbes. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  3. ^ @Unrivaledwbb (July 9, 2024). "STEWIE IS UNRIVALED 👑 1/30 ✅" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Feinberg, Doug (August 12, 2024). "Paige Bueckers planning for future by joining new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, living in the present". Associated Press.
  5. ^ Anderson, Kari (August 1, 2024). "Paige Bueckers reportedly signs NIL deal with women's basketball league Unrivaled". Yahoo Sports.
  6. ^ a b c d "Former ESPN and Turner Chiefs Team Up to Bring 'Unrivaled' Women's Basketball League to Market". The Hollywood Reporter. May 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Castillo, Jarrod (October 26, 2024). "What is 'Unrivaled' basketball league? Rules, teams and players taking part". The Mirror. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Unrivaled unveils team names, branding". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  9. ^ @PHEEsespieces (August 9, 2024). "There's a selection committee that splits the teams by position & skill..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ @PHEEsespieces (August 9, 2024). "Every team will have a head coach, assistant and a team manager" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ a b c d Rizzo, Lillian (May 30, 2024). "New basketball league Unrivaled lands star-studded investor lineup, aims to pay highest average salary in women's pro league sports". CNBC.
  12. ^ a b "Unrivaled Scores With Ally Financial, the League's First and Founding Partner". PRNewswire (Press release). July 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Pelit, Asli (July 19, 2024). "Ally Becomes Founding Partner of Women's 3-on-3 League Unrivaled". Sportico. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  14. ^ Young, Grant (November 18, 2024). "Fans Suspect Unrivaled Sponsorship Could Forecast Caitlin Clark Involvement". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Dixon, Ed (May 31, 2024). "Unrivaled basketball league nets star-studded investment ahead of debut season". Sports Pro Media.
  16. ^ @PHEEsespieces (August 9, 2024). "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 💰🤑" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Leahy, Sean (October 31, 2024). "Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league expands to 36 roster spots ahead of debut season". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  18. ^ Jackson, Eric (May 30, 2024). "Alex Morgan, Carmelo, Nash Invest in 3-v-3 Women's Hoops League". Sportico.
  19. ^ "Unrivaled's Bazzell believes Micky Lawler is the right person to be commissioner". Sports Business Journal. August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  20. ^ Schaefer, Rob (June 27, 2024). "Unrivaled names Micky Lawler as commissioner". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Shmerler, Cindy (August 13, 2024). "Micky Lawler, a Longtime Tennis Executive, Turns to Basketball". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  22. ^ "Professional Women's Basketball League 'Unrivaled' Names Clare Duwelius as Executive Vice President and General Manager". Sports Business Journal (Press release). November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  23. ^ Alex, Weprin (October 16, 2024). "TNT Sports Gets Into Women's Basketball, Inks Rights Deal With Startup League Unrivaled". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
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