Unrivaled, the U.S. basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is ready for its closeup.
The new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league will debut Friday night, a couple of years after the idea of starting a domestic league to bolster athletes’ salaries during the WNBA’s offseason without them having to go overseas.
“Because a lot of players probably my age and a little bit older are so accustomed to going overseas,” Stewart told CBS News. “And now it’s like, no, you play WNBA. You come to Unrivaled and we’re gonna take care of you. We’re gonna pay you. We’re gonna make sure you continue to build your brand.
Both Collier and Stewart have played for teams overseas: Collier in France and Stewart in Turkey.
What is Unrivaled basketball?
Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league where six teams, with each six players on each squad, compete for the title.
The league will feature 36 WNBA players, including the two co-founders, whose teams will play against each other on opening night. Sensational WNBA rookie Angel Reese’s team plays in the second contest. Other WNBA stars fans can see include Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas and Arike Ogunbowale.
“I think I’ll be taking it all in in the introductions,” Collier said. “Once the ball goes up, it’s just the game.”
The games will be played on a court that’s about 20 feet shorter than the WNBA court.
Marta Lavandier / AP
Unrivaled basketball rules
There will be three seven-minute quarters and a fourth quarter that isn’t timed. Teams will play to a “winning score” which will be determined by adding 11 points to the squad which is leading after three quarters. For example: If Team X is leading 60-55 after three quarters, the first team to 71 would win the game.
“Every game, we will have a game-winning shot,” Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said. “That was important for us because coming out of the third quarter, there’s no mysteries of what you need to do.”
There will only be one free throw taken when players commit shooting fouls with the value of it equal to the shot. That means if a player is fouled shooting a 3-pointer, a made free throw will count for three points. A free throw after being fouled on a two-point attempt is worth two points and any and-1 situation is worth one point.
There will be an 18-second shot clock instead of 24 seconds that the players use in the WNBA. The clock will stop on made baskets in the final 30 seconds of a quarter as opposed to the last minute used in the WNBA.
Marta Lavandier / AP
How much are Unrivaled athletes getting paid?
Nearly all the players are making more than $100,000. The average player salary is the highest ever for any women’s sports league. There is more than $8 million in the salary pool.
Players also are getting an equity stake in the league. The league is also holding a 1-on-1 tournament in February and the winner will be paid $250,000. Each player on the winner’s Unrivaled team will also receive $10,000.
Same as WNBA games, players took part in a half-court shootout after their morning practices. Shakira Austin made the first one and earned $100 for her efforts. She went last as the youngest player on the Lunar Owls and had the advantage of knowing that the shorter court meant a closer shot.
“It’s a great start to the day,” Austin said.
While the halfcourt money is the same, players are making a lot more as the league boasts the highest average salary for a professional women’s league.
How to watch Unrivaled
The season runs from Friday to March 17 with games played mostly on Friday, Saturday and Monday. There will be two games a night shown on TNT or TruTv. Former WNBA star and basketball analyst Candace Parker will anchor a studio show during the broadcasts.
“I can’t even put it into words what it’s going to be like,” Stewart said. “But just the fact that there’s so much hype, there’s so much content, so much chatter about opening night and we worked really hard to get to this point both on and off the court. Excited to kind of just go in and showcase what we’ve done.”
When is the WNBA season?
The WNBA draft is on April 14, according to the league.
The regular WNBA season begins May 16, two months after Unrivaled’s final games. Three games kick off the new season: Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings vs. Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries vs. Los Angeles Sparks.
Last season, WNBA star Stewart made history with the New York Liberty helping the team end its 27-year quest and win its first championship title. It was a record-breaking season for women’s basketball, including single-game attendance records and all-time records for digital consumption and merchandise sales, according to the league.
The 2025 season is already setting records before it even begins with each team playing a record-high of 44 games, the league said.
