Becoming a Basketball Girly Starter Guide: What is the Unrivaled League
- Erykah Agers
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
VIBRANT BLACK 🌐 - Look, women’s basketball is on the rise and has been receiving more talk, more press, more controversy, more everything lately. So for everyone looking to keep up or just catch up, it is not too late for you. I'm here to save you. I’m going to walk you through it nice and easy.
But for this article, we’re starting with one of women’s basketball’s newest leagues: Unrivaled.
Much of the same talent you know from the WNBA — but a whole different ball game, okay?
So what is Unrivaled, why was it created, and how is it different from The W (that’s the WNBA)?
Let’s get into it.
What Is Unrivaled and Why Was It Created?
Unrivaled is a women’s professional basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (That's Stewie and MVPhee or just Phee). They created it to give players a U.S.-based offseason option, instead of having to play overseas for additional income.
The league uses a fast, 3-on-3 (3 versus 3) format with small, six-player teams. It’s designed to be quicker, more skill-driven, and easier to keep up with, especially for new fans.
Now here’s the part that usually makes people perk up a little, the money.
Unrivaled players are getting paid way more than the average WNBA contract, and that was one of the biggest reasons this league was created.
Players in Unrivaled are earning around $220,000+ on average, which puts them right up there with, and in some cases above, top WNBA salaries.
On top of that, Unrivaled gives its players equity in the league, so they actually own a piece of what they’re building instead of just showing up to work and going home. That’s a huge shift in power for women athletes.
How is this possible? The investor list is loud:
Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, plus heavyweights like Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Dawn Staley, JuJu Watkins, and more have put money behind Unrivaled, just to name a few.
What’s the Same as the WNBA
Many of the same players. A lot of Unrivaled athletes are active WNBA players.
Elite talent. The skill level is the same — these are the best women hoopers in the world.
Real competition. The matchups still matter, the moments still hit, and the energy is high.
What’s Different From the WNBA
Offseason league , it runs when the WNBA is not in season.
3-on-3 format, not the usual 5-on-5 that is standard in both WNBA and the NBA.
Shorter, faster games with more scoring and more one-on-one highlights.
Smaller rosters, just six players per club. They play in clubs instead of teams.
Player-founded and player-driven, with a more modern vibe and focus on visibility.
More support for players: Unrivaled has on-site childcare for moms and a dedicated Sephora-sponsored glam room, fully outfitted for players to get camera-ready before games and interviews.
What’s New This Season (2026) Compared to Last Year
Unrivaled made several changes for its second season:
Expanded from 6 to 8 teams, adding Breeze BC and Hive BC.
Added a development pool for more depth and emerging talent.
Increased to four nights of games each week.
No more back-to-back games, to help with recovery.
Special tour stop game on January 30, 2026, in Philadelphia.
And yes — some big names from Season 1 are not returning this year, including:
Sabrina Ionescu
Angel Reese
Why those two and others opted out is a completely different article on its own. That's coming up.
When the New Season Starts and How to Watch
The next Unrivaled season begins January 5, 2026.
You can watch it here:
TNT
truTV
Streaming on Max
How to Keep Up (Instagram Accounts to Follow)
Here’s where to stay updated:
Official accounts
@unrivaledwbb
@tntsports
@streamonmax
League founders
@breannastewart30
@napheesa24
WNBA crossover updates
@wnba
These pages will give you highlights, rosters, schedules, and quick clips if you’re still learning the format and players.
That is all for now, but our next articles will be all about the classic WNBA and an even more new league that has launched After unrivaled attempting to bring players right back overseas.
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