Traditionally, WNBA players have had to play overseas after the season due to low wages. Although the league has grown, it hasn’t reached the stage at which it can compensate its players in the way the NBA can. As a result, WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart have paired together to launch the Unrivaled Basketball League. Reacting to this, the Lynx star got candid about the special event that will take place within the league.
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Unrivaled is a women’s basketball league that is different from the WNBA. It is a 3-on-3 format similar to Ice Cube’s Big 3 league.
Collier made a guest appearance on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’ to shed more awareness for the new association. Former NBA player Lou Williams asked Collier her opinion as to who might perform the best in a 3-on-3 setting, to which she already had a way of figuring that out. She said,
“That’s why we’re having a 1-on-1 tournament in the middle to settle that question. So we’ll see.”
Who do you think will be the most dominant player in that 3v3 style? – @TeamLou23
That’s why we’re having a 1v1 tournament. – @PHEEsespieces
Napheesa Collier reveals @Unrivaledwbb will have a 1v1 tournament to crown the Queen of the Court
https://t.co/sIlQ9R1ROr pic.twitter.com/UqCQohwJ5T
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 17, 2024
Unrivaled’s implementation of this tournament would make it the first major basketball league to host a 1-on-1 mid-season tournament.
The demand for a 1-on-1 tournament has been high among basketball fans. Notably, NBA fans have been vocal about their desire to introduce it during the All-Star weekend for many years, and it’s finally set to happen, thanks to the WNBA stars.
Currently, the league has announced 26 out of 30 players that will participate, including the likes of Angel Reese.
The league, although in its infancy, will soon gain significant notoriety. Stewart and Collier were able to land a multi-year media deal with TNT Sports to broadcast 45+ regular season games in its inaugural season.
Unrivaled’s goal is to offer another outlet for WNBA players to continue to play basketball domestically. Following the circumstances that Brittany Griner faced in Russia recently, the league’s mission is for a great cause.
The highly anticipated basketball league will begin its inaugural season on January 17, 2025, and will finish in time for the opening night of the 2025 WNBA season.
