‘Is she scared?’ – Angel Reese declines $200k as fans suggest she fears embarrassment in contest but star could still land winner’s cheque

Who says no to a $200,000 basketball challenge?

Well, Angel Reese, after the WNBA star and four others players choose to decline Unrivaled’s upcoming tournament.

Details for the 1-on-1 contest have been officially revealed by the league and it will begin on February 10 and feature 30 WNBA players.  Unrivaled is the breakaway off-season women’s basketball league featuring 36 WNBA stars in a nine-week long event.

The league attracted players due its competitive compensation, which includes an average salary of $222,000, and the fact it is played in the US, meaning players do not have to travel overseas in their off-season, which used to be the norm.  In an attempt to popularize the league even further and attract more viewers, Unrivaled organizers announced a 1-on-1 competition that will be nationally televised.

However, that list of players excludes five current Unrivaled stars: Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Reese, Stefanie Dolson, and Courtney Vandersloot.  The single elimination contest sees a stunning prize pool of $350,000, with co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier participating and stars like Alyssa Thomas also involved.

The format sees the 30 players put into four groups of eight, with two byes in two groups. Players will be drawn against each other in a single elimination until there is one woman left.  $200k will be handed to the winner of the challenge, $50,000 will be handed to the runner-up and $25,000 will be given to the semi-finalists.

Alex Bazzell, the president of Unrivaled, was excited about the upcoming challenge, but made sure he got approval from co-founder Stewart first, who jumped at the idea.  “Listen, you talk about brand risk… I’m like, ‘Well, let me just go straight to Stewie and see what she thinks,’” Bazzell told SB.

Angel Reese is one of Unrivaled’s stars but won’t be playing in the 1-on-1 contest

“She’s like, ‘No, I want to play. I’m tired of people debating like I’m not the best player.’”  Such an exciting challenge begs the question why stars like Reese are not playing, but Bazell clarified that there is a clause in their contracts that lets them opt out from the contest.

Something that has disappointed fans on social media.  “So no BG, Sloot, Sab, Angel…Why?” one fan posted in reply to the announcement.  “No point without Reese,” another fan said not hiding their disappointment.

Some fans suggested she does not want to participate in case she loses early and gets criticised, saying on x: “Is she scared of getting dumped out in round one?”  Nevertheless the contest will go on and the groups of players have already been chosen, interestingly fans will decide the players’ seedings in order to form the first-round match-ups.

For players eliminated and not playing, there is also an incentive to want your teammate to do well, as the tournament winner will see their teammates awarded $10,000.  This was done on purpose Bazell says, “To keep team camaraderie.”  “Inevitably you want to root them on — not just for personal reasons, but also there’s an incentive for you if your teammate wins the ultimate cash prize.”

Katie Lou Samuelson, who plays for the Indiana Fever and Phantom, says the prize money is the biggest motivator for players.  “We’re all competitive. It’s a great opportunity,” Samuelson said. “There’s a great prize fund at the end of it. Everyone’s gonna play as hard as they can.”  Fans will be waiting to see the results of this ground breaking 1-on-1 tournament when it begins on February 10.