A new women's basketball league called Unrivaled tips off Friday in Miami, signaling an evolution of women's hoops. Created by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the 3x3 women's league adds an additional offseason option for WNBA athletes, offering them a chance to get paid and showcase the game to a burgeoning group of fans.
"They're bringing something new to women's basketball," Brittney Griner, who will play for the Phantom team, said in a news conference earlier in January. "They're making it exciting. They're doing something different. They're trying to give us a different look and a different feel on how we can bring everybody together in one spot and it be ran in a way where it's beneficial for us on the court, off the court, marketing. ... They're really pouring in a lot, and that's what kind of excited me the most, honestly, and I just had to be a part of this."
With stars such as Collier, Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, Arike Ogunbowale, Alyssa Thomas, and Cameron Brink all set to play at a central site in Miami, the 36 athletes expect to sharpen their skills in a best-on-best environment.
"I've been watching these players since I was in college," said Reese, who will play for team Rose alongside Kahleah Copper and Lexie Hull. "Obviously, I have one year (of professional basketball) under my belt. Just being able to get as much information as I can while I'm here ... I told them to coach me hard and get on me when they need to get on me. So I really enjoy this."
Games will be televised in the U.S. on Warner Bros. Discovery platforms (TNT or truTV; streaming on Max). "This is the exposure we deserve, being on TNT every night," Reese said. "This is something that we've deserved for a long time ... Just being able to be here, and value women. It's just really important right now, especially with the growth of women's basketball."
Athletes anticipate the league's 3x3 approach will sharpen skills they'll take back to the WNBA hardwood. "If you have bad habits, they're going to get exposed," Griner said. "Honestly, I think this is going to make us locked in more, be a little sharper going back."
Unrivaled's 3x3 format is slightly different than the FIBA version used in the Olympics. In FIBA 3x3, games are played on a half court and consist of four 10-minute quarters. Unrivaled games will be played on a full court and each quarter is seven minutes long. "It's going to challenge me to play a little bit differently," Griner said.
As a center in the WNBA, Griner will have to adapt to spending more time on the wing in Unrivaled. "I've been trying to evolve my game anyway and playing not just on the low post always, you know, stretching out, playing on the wing a little bit," she said. "I'm really looking forward to this showcasing that and being challenged as well. I'll be in the best shape ever coming back."
The full court adds a new dimension for those already familiar with the pace of 3x3.
"FIBA 3x3, it's very fast-paced. You have to check the ball and come back in. And it's physical," said Katie Lou Samuelson, who earned a gold for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup. "I don't know if this league is going to be as physical as FIBA 3x3 because you have to get all the way back down the court. You can't stay in the paint. If you score, you can't stay try to bury someone in the paint. You have to sprint down the court. I think it's even harder to hide in this type of 3x3. You have to be involved, no matter what, offensively and defensively, the whole entire time. You have to be able to hold your own."
Unrivaled is also introducing another twist: a midseason one-on-one tournament from Feb. 10-14 with a $250,000 prize on the line. Yes, the prize money is attractive to athletes as an opportunity to add to their earnings. In addition to splitting an $8-million salary pool, the 36 founding athletes are also eligible for revenue sharing with the league.
But they're also looking forward to the competitive aspect of the in-season tournament. "Just the experience of being able to play against the top players in the league, being able to make each other better. Not every day in the offseason you get to play one on one or three on three against top players in the league," said Allisha Gray, who's on the Lunar Owls team. "So it's cool that we get to experience this together, and it flows right on into the W season."
Off the court, athletes are hoping the league will push the WNBA to evolve. "Unrivaled is showing that you don't need a lot of time to pull resources together to be able to put a good product out there," Griner said. "Being happy with what we just already have is not going to fly here at Unrivaled. Hopefully it helps the W push forward, bringing in more viewership, bringing in more partners. There's definitely different partners here that aren't a part of the W. So hopefully they can reach into that, because now the door is open. But it's definitely going to put pressure on the league to do better."
Unrivaled's inaugural season runs Jan. 17 to March 17, with 42 regular-season games and a five-game postseason. WNBA training camps begin April 27 with the season opening on May 16.
Jolene Latimer is a feature writer at theScore.
