Fans of women’s basketball will no longer have to wait seven months to watch their favorite players in action. WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are set to launch Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league, which will begin in January 2025. The league was initially set to get underway with 30 players but co-founder Collier announced on October 31st that they were expanding their talent pool to 36. In addition to offering an opportunity to play in America during the offseason, Unrivaled will also give players equity.
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Each star will receive a 0.5% equity in Unrivaled. According to The Triibe, the league is currently valued at $100 million, but that number is expected to skyrocket in the upcoming years. Stars like Angel Reese, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and others will not only play in the league but will directly benefit from its growth.
A special announcement from our co-founder
We’re expanding to 36✅ pic.twitter.com/HaAKUn30gA
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) October 31, 2024
The WNBA’s stunning growth in 2024 has helped Unrivaled garner a lot of interest from investors. In October, the league secured a multi-year media deal with TNT, and the network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, also joined in as one of the investors in the league.
TNT is keen on helping the league grow and claimed in their statement they will give “sustained stability and financial security for all players and stakeholders through at least 2028,” outlining their intention to turn it into a successful venture. The network isn’t the only major investor in Unrivaled.
Unrivaled’s list of investors
The league has received significant investment from noteworthy individuals. ESPN President John Skipper, Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, and ex-Turner President David Levy have all invested in Unrivaled.
The league is not only a lucrative venture but also noble. Its goal is to eliminate the need for WNBA stars to play overseas during the league’s lengthy offseason and prevent situations like Brittney Griner’s incarceration in Russia.
Unrivaled has already roped in several superstars for its inaugural season and is banking on it to garner enough success to attract even more in its second season.
