The landscape of women’s basketball is on the cusp of significant change, thanks to the emergence of Unrivaled, a professional women’s 3×3 league. Co-founded by WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled aims to elevate the standards of women’s basketball by addressing critical areas such as player compensation, amenities, and offseason engagement. This article delves into the potential ways Unrivaled could influence the WNBA, exploring its innovative approaches and the impact they might have on the established league.
From raising salaries and providing equity to improving amenities and upping offseason promotion, Unrivaled is setting a new benchmark for women’s sports. As the WNBA continues to experience record viewership and growth, the lessons and innovations from Unrivaled could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of professional women’s basketball.
One of the most significant ways Unrivaled could influence the WNBA is through its approach to player compensation and equity. Unrivaled launched at a crucial time, coinciding with negotiations between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) for a new collective bargaining agreement. Players are expected to push for higher salaries, and Unrivaled’s model sets a compelling precedent.
Unrivaled offers an average salary of around $220,000 per player and provides player equity, a stark contrast to the WNBA, where the average salary was approximately $120,000 in 2024. Thirty-six players signed on for Unrivaled, with six more available for injury relief. This discrepancy in pay has kept the topic of compensation at the forefront, highlighting the need for the WNBA to address player salaries.
Another key aspect of Unrivaled’s model is giving players around 15 percent of its league equity. This could be a precursor to a change in the WNBA, which is entering its 29th season. The WNBPA has expressed its desire for an equity-based model that evolves with the league’s business success in the next CBA. According to Stewart, “We’re uplifting the standard by just showing that when you invest and get behind us, anything is possible.”
Beyond salaries, Unrivaled’s commitment to prioritizing the player experience could also influence the WNBA. While the two leagues have numerous operational differences, Unrivaled’s focus on amenities and support for players with families sets a high standard.
Rhyne Howard, a star wing on the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and Unrivaled’s Vinyl Basketball Club, noted, “We’re taking the things we like here and we’re going to tell our ownership.” A WNBA arms race has been underway, with several franchises building new facilities and improving their amenities, but offerings can still vary widely.
Unrivaled created a private, professional-level training space in a matter of months, outfitting a former TV production studio into an all-encompassing performance center and arena. This facility includes a sauna and cold tub, amenities not always available at WNBA clubs. Multiple players also appreciated heating pads on the training room tables. Most importantly, Unrivaled ensured its facility offered robust childcare options, including a nursing room, nursery room, and a kids’ room with toys and a mini basketball hoop.
Katie Lou Samuelson, a forward on Phantom Basketball Club and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, has used the childcare services for her 1-year-old daughter. She says, “I just feel super comfortable knowing that I can go into any game, I can do any treatment I need to do after the games end and there’s going to be someone there watching her and taking care of her until it’s time to go. I don’t feel rushed, and it’s been really nice.”
Unrivaled has brokered partnerships with multiple companies new to women’s basketball. More than half a dozen of the league’s corporate sponsors are not existing NBA or WNBA partners, including Sephora, Wayfair, Samsung Galaxy, Morgan Stanley, and VistaPrint. Lexie Hull, a guard on Unrivaled’s Rose Basketball Club who plays for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, said Unrivaled’s partnerships highlighted that numerous companies are eager to work with women’s sports leagues and their athletes.
As a startup, Unrivaled can be more nimble. The WNBA increased its number of sponsorships by 19 percent last year and had a record 24 sponsor activations at its All-Star Game fan fest last summer. Jordin Canada, a guard on the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and Unrivaled’s Vinyl Basketball Club, said Unrivaled’s deals “puts pressure” on the WNBA to put its players at the forefront of more arrangements.
Chelsea Gray, a star guard for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and Unrivaled’s Rose Basketball Club, encourages the WNBA to “look at different partnerships and bring them along as well.”
Unrivaled prompted more than 30 of the WNBA’s top players to live in one area, leading to more publicity as they interacted with one another. Photo and video content was pumped out on official Unrivaled channels and on individual player platforms, keeping players more frequently in conversations among WNBA fans. According to Breanna Stewart, “That was a missing piece because you wouldn’t know what was happening for seven months because you were overseas.”
In recent years, the WNBA has stressed the importance of relevancy during its offseason. Shakira Austin, a center for Unrivaled’s Lunar Owls Basketball Club and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, said Unrivaled has been a “10 out of 10” in capturing player personalities, creating social content that is timely to online trends. That’s something she hopes to see more of in the WNBA season.
Austin added, “So to be able to have 24/7 almost access to the WNBA players while we’re playing year-round now, it’s dope and I think it’s something that can continue to move forward.”
Unrivaled’s players and executives emphasize that the winter venture is designed to complement the WNBA, which holds its annual draft in April and tips off its season in May. Lexie Hull stated, “This league is meant to be an aid to the WNBA. They’re supposed to live in cohesion.”
During the Unrivaled season, WNBA officials, including commissioner Cathy Engelbert and head of league operations Bethany Donaphin, visited the league in Florida. Breanna Stewart expressed her hope that they observed all aspects of the new venture.
As players return to their WNBA markets, the impact of Unrivaled could be felt in just a few weeks. Stewart concludes, “From what we did in the W, to now flipping switches to Unrivaled to soon flipping back to the W, we’re just continuing to have people know what these players are doing constantly. We just want to make sure we’re growing the sport as a whole.”
Unrivaled presents a compelling vision for the future of women’s basketball. By prioritizing player compensation, enhancing amenities, fostering partnership opportunities, and maintaining offseason engagement, Unrivaled sets a new standard that could significantly influence the WNBA. As the WNBA continues to grow and evolve, the innovations and lessons from Unrivaled may play a crucial role in shaping the league’s future.
The key takeaways from Unrivaled include the importance of equitable compensation, comprehensive player support, strategic partnerships, and continuous engagement with fans. These elements, if adopted and adapted by the WNBA, could elevate the league and further solidify its position in the sports landscape. The collaboration between Unrivaled and the WNBA, as emphasized by players and executives, could lead to a more vibrant and successful future for women’s basketball as a whole.
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