Napheesa Collier Opens Up on “Bigger Plans” for Year 2 of Unrivaled

Napheesa Collier sprained her ankle and hasn’t played a game since the start of August. A comeback to the top level is at the top of her mind, but as she rehabs, Collier is also focused on other things. For instance, she wants to capitalize on the success of Unrivaled after a sensational debut season.

Collier, who is still at the top of the MVP ladder, appeared on fellow UConn alum Sue Bird’s podcast to discuss the positives from the Minnesota Lynx’s 2025 season, and the conversation naturally flowed to the success of Unrivaled. It is a 3v3 women’s basketball league co-founded by Queen Phee and Breanna Stewart.

Originally, the idea was to market it as an alternative for WNBA players who have to go abroad to play. Last year’s installment proved that the league was very well received. So while talking about their plans for season two and the future, Collier revealed that the process had been “really fun” and “awesome.”

“We had success in year one, and we have even bigger plans for year two,” Collier told Bird. The Lynx star also spoke about everything she has learned from her time in charge of Unrivaled, which she has continued to oversee while remaining an active WNBA player.

“To have so much say in something like this, it’s awesome,” Collier added. “Like your voice really matters, your opinion, the ideas that you have. So planning for year two has been awesome. Just all of our hopes and dreams, and all of our what-ifs.”

As the reigning MVP of Unrivaled and one of the minds behind the league, Collier is clearly ecstatic about its success and the rapid growth in popularity. With stars like Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink set to make their Unrivaled debuts, there is strong belief that the second season will be just as popular as, if not more popular than, the first.

Collier on main points to improve in Unrivaled S2

The hype around Unrivaled may have been generational when the news dropped, but the stats show that there is still room for improvement in the league. Collier wants the main focus of season 2 to be the fans’ experience and to grow the league even more.

After the entirety of season 1 was played in a custom-built facility in Miami, from practices to shoot arounds and the 1v1 tournament. Collier’s main focus is going to be on taking the league on the road — last year it played all of its games at a custom-built facility in Miami — expanding the player pool, offering more salary, and “just heightening everything,” as she explained at the 2025 CNBC Changemakers Summit.

“It was year one, and it’s like, you have an idea and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t,” she said. “We were changing things in real time, so we’re hoping to improve the fan experience and make it even better for the players — so growth is what we’re looking at.”

With the hype around women’s basketball at an all-time high, Collier and other players in the W have made it a point to try to expand rosters in the WNBA and renegotiate the CBA. With more players coming into the W, the player pool for Unrivaled expands too, and as Collier put it, “Unrivaled is a tool where we’re trying to raise all boats.”