What is Unrivaled? A new league that promises high pay and big stars, including Angel Reese

Angel Reese has already made instant impact with the Chicago Sky, amassing a league-record 15 consecutive double-doubles during the first half of her rookie season.  The star has decided how to spend her first WNBA offseason: playing in the new professional three-on-three league Unrivaled. Her addition to the league is especially notable because she is the first announced Unrivaled athlete without prior professional international experience.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have the two highest-selling jerseys as overall merch sales are up 500% this year 📈

(via @SBJ) pic.twitter.com/UST82sIV5z

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 24, 2024

The league has already announced a number of high-profile WNBA players and will tip off in January 2025.  Player announcements began on July 9, and will continue until the 30-player league pool is full. The current roster is below.

What is Unrivaled?

It promises to pay the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history and will give equity in the league to its inaugural participants, enabling the athletes to profit from Unrivaled for years to come. The league was founded by WNBA superstars Collier and Stewart and has a long list of high-powered investors, including Alex Morgan, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Megan Rapinoe and former ESPN and Turner presidents John Skipper and David Levy.

As women’s sports spike in popularity, Collier has said that everyone is benefiting but the athletes themselves, as WNBA players are locked into a pay structure governed by a collective bargaining agreement. Unrivaled was created “on that principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflect their value,” Collier said.

How does Unrivaled fit into the women’s basketball landscape?

WNBA players historically have played overseas during the offseason to supplement their incomes from domestic salaries. However, playing year-round puts a strain on their bodies and requires personal sacrifices, such as missing holidays with their families. Being overseas also keeps WNBA players out of sight, and thus out of mind, for most of the year, hampering their marketability and the growth of the sport for months at a time.

The goal of Unrivaled is to keep the best players stateside to carry the momentum of one WNBA season into the next, which can only happen with the record-breaking salaries. The short three-on-three season will also keep players fresher heading into the WNBA calendar, ideally extending their careers in the process. The two leagues should work in concert with one another, as having All-Stars in the U.S. throughout the offseason will help promote the WNBA and optimize its product.

How will Unrivaled work?

The league will have 30 players split into six teams of five. They will play for eight weeks, which includes a round-robin regular season and playoffs featuring the top four teams in the standings. Miami will be the home base of Unrivaled, but the founders hope to take the league on the road during the regular season.

The format of Unrivaled is a modified 3×3 game. The international version is a halfcourt game played to 21. Unrivaled will instead be played on a compressed full court that is about 70 feet long, and games will be four quarters. The extra space is designed to give players room to showcase their skills and also reduce the wear and tear on their bodies.

Which players are participating?

Breanna Stewart

As one of the league’s co-founders, it came as no surprise when Stewart was officially announced as a player on July 9. Stewart, a two-time WNBA MVP and four-time NCAA champion at UConn, has spent parts of past offseasons playing abroad. She most recently played for the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe during the spring of 2023.

Napheesa Collier

Like Stewart, Collier’s inclusion came as no surprise as she is also one of the league’s co-founders. The four-time All-Star with the Minnesota Lynx spent parts of this past offseason playing with Fenerbahçe, helping lead the club to a second consecutive EuroLeague title.

Chelsea Gray

A three-time WNBA champion, Gray is widely regarded as one of the best point guards in the world. She did not play overseas this past winter, rehabbing a lower leg injury she suffered with the Aces in the 2023 WNBA Finals. However, she has played abroad previously, including the 2022-23 season for the Turkish club Çukurova.

Arike Ogunbowale

Ogunbowale has made the WNBA All-Star team in four consecutive seasons with the Wings, and she has finished top five in scoring average in her first five seasons. She, too, has experience playing professionally in the winter, including suiting up for the Russian club Dynamo Kursk.

Jewell Loyd

Loyd has won two WNBA championships and made six All-Star games since being the Seattle Storm’s No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft. She last played overseas in the 2020 offseason with the Spanish club Perfumerias Avenida. She was the second Notre Dame alum announced to Unrivaled, joining Ogunbowale.

Kelsey Plum

Like Loyd and Stewart, Plum is another former No. 1 draft pick joining the league. She is also the second Aces player announced. Plum is a two-time WNBA champion and three-time All-Star. She last played abroad professionally in 2022, with Turkish club Galatasaray.

Rhyne Howard

Another No. 1 WNBA pick is joining Unrivaled as the Atlanta Dream guard is the seventh player announced. A two-time WNBA All-Star and a member of the Olympic 3×3 team, Howard remained stateside last offseason, working as an assistant at Florida. She played for the Italian club Beretta Famila Schio after her first WNBA season.

Kahleah Copper

A WNBA Finals MVP, World Cup gold medalist, and Paris Olympian, Copper is the eighth All-Star to join the Unrivaled field. Copper has previously worked as an assistant coach at Purdue University Northwest and participated in the WNBA’s player marketing program during the offseason in addition to playing overseas, most recently at CBK Mersin in Turkey.