Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s Unrivaled has collaborated with NASCAR to promote women’s sports. It’s an unusual collaboration considering the lack of female drivers in NASCAR’s top series since Danica Patrick’s retirement in 2017. However, a YouGov survey revealed that over 41% of NASCAR viewers are females.
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So, the “unexpected allies” are trying to use their respective influence to bring more women into sports. Stewart is hopeful that this partnership will bring some positive change as it’s bound to spark curiosity among NASCAR fans about Unrivaled.
The promotion will be done through Alex Bowman’s number 48 car. His sponsor Ally Financial, which is also an Unrivaled partner, has turned Bowman’s car into a promotional vehicle.
The bright colors and graffiti on his car are representative of the 3×3 league as well as the entirety of women’s basketball. Stewart is confident that it’ll catch a lot of attention.
She told The Athletic, “I hope NASCAR fans are going to be curious. I hope they’re going to be like, ‘What is this? Why is the car this color? What’s Unrivaled?’ And then just be able to educate themselves on what we had just finished.”
While promoting the unique partnership, Stewart also got an opportunity to have a ride in Bowman’s car. She was accompanied by Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington, both players in the Unrivaled and WNBA, and they took turns in the car to experience speed like never before.
But Stewart, who is a living legend, immediately showed her competitive side the second she sat in the passenger seat. Her first instinct was to set a condition for Bowman. She requested, “I have a few conditions. I want you to go faster than you went with them.”
From the court to the track! 🏀🏁
We gave @Unrivaledwbb players a taste of what @Alex_Bowman experiences when he races the #Ally48 Unrivaled scheme this weekend at @HomesteadMiami. #UnexpectedAllies pic.twitter.com/5QggZcHORZ
— Ally Racing (@allyracing) March 18, 2025
Carrington also described herself as an adrenaline junkie. She said, “I love a good adrenaline rush. I want the car to go as fast as it can.” Whereas Mabrey was feeling anxious about the experience.
The driver informed the WNBA stars that the NASCAR drivers usually hit 170 miles an hour on the lane they were driving. After the lap, Stewart said, “This is a collab that I would’ve never seen coming.”
The Unrivaled League has already concluded its debut season. But their journey is only starting. With the upcoming race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, they will have already begun preparing for the next season.
And it’s more than likely what is to come will be grander and more popular than the league’s first season. Hopefully, a lot more WNBA stars will finally agree to compete in the tournament.
