Saturday, January 18, 2025

A new women’s basketball league with WNBA stars is here. What to know about Unrivaled

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Unrivaled, a new women’s professional basketball league, is about to hit the ground running, ushering in another era for women’s sports.

The 3-on-3 league was co-founded by two WNBA stars, the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier and the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, and features dozens of fellow WNBA players.

Unrivaled will set a record for the highest average salaries in women’s sports history, according to the league’s website, and will bring some major changes to the game fans are used to watching.

Here’s what to know about the league, kicking off Jan. 17, and how to watch.

What is Unrivaled?

Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league comprised of 36 players separated into six teams — the Laces Basketball Club, Lunar Owls Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Phantom Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball Club.

Basketball fans might be familiar with the 3×3 event at the Olympics, which made its debut at the Tokyo Games four years ago, but the new league takes a different approach.

Unrivaled games will take place on a condensed 70-foot-by-50-foot court. The Olympics’ 3×3 competition is played on a 36-foot-by-49-foot half court, and the WNBA plays on a 94-foot-by-50-foot court.

Games will consist of four quarters with a game clock and a shot clock. Each matchup will be played during a one-hour broadcast window.

The Unrivaled season lasts nine weeks, including playoffs. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will head to the playoffs in March.

Unique to Unrivaled, the league will also include a one-on-one single-elimination tournament in February “to determine the best 1v1 player in the world.”

Who’s playing in Unrivaled?

Thirty-six players have been separated into six teams across the new league. Here’s who fans can expect to take the court.

  • Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
  • Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
  • Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
  • Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
  • Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
  • Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
  • Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
  • Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
  • Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
  • Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
  • Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun
  • Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings
  • Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
  • Natasha Cloud, Phoenix Mercury
  • Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle Storm
  • Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Dijonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun
  • Courtney Vandersloot, New York Liberty
  • Brittney Sykes, Washington Mystics
  • Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics
  • Tiffany Hayes, Las Vegas Aces
  • Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
  • Azurá Stevens, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
  • Kate Martin, Golden State Valkyries
  • Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics
  • Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever
  • Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
  • Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
  • Stefanie Dolson, Washington Mystics
  • Rae Burrell, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream
  • Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Katie Lou Samuelson, Indiana Fever
  • Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers, who could be selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, already signed with Unrivaled and will join the league in 2026, The Associated Press reported.

Stewart and Collier co-founded the league and will be two of its stars.Getty Images

Will Caitlin Clark play in Unrivaled?

No, WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark will not play in Unrivaled.

The Indiana Fever star was named WNBA Rookie of the Year last season. The WNBA begins its 2025 regular season May 16.

When is the first Unrivaled game?

The first Unrivaled games tip off Friday, Jan. 17, in the Miami area with a doubleheader.

The first game will be a matchup between the Mist and the Lunar Owls at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a game between the Rose and the Vinyl at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Unrivaled games

Unrivaled games are set to air three nights per week on TNT Sports platforms, which are available through major cable television providers and streaming services that carry them. TNT will host games as the lead network on Mondays and Fridays, while truTV will broadcast Saturday matchups.

All games will also be available for streaming on Max.

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