The WNBA season ended on an incredible high, with the New York Liberty capturing their first championship in 28 seasons after knocking off the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the Finals. And thanks to two of the final’s contestants, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the excitement doesn’t have to end with the 2024 season.
Stewart and Collier have launched Unsurpasseda 3-on-3 basketball league that takes place during the WNBA offseason and begins January 17, 2025. Unrivaled has been rolling out sponsor, player, salary, rule and schedule announcements since 2023 — and we’ve stayed on top of it all.
Ahead, here’s everything you need to know about Unmatched Basketball, the lineup, and how to tune in.
What is unmatched?
Unrivaled is a brand new style of 3-on-3 basketball played on a 70 x 50 foot compressed court. The league was founded by Olympians and WNBA veterans Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier and has six teams, with six players on each team. The inaugural season begins January 17 and is based in Miami located at Mediapro, a purpose-built facility that has a capacity of 850 people.
Who plays in the unprecedented league?
Unrivaled has officially announced all 36 players. The list includes several other WNBA Finals stars (such as Stewart, Collier, Sabrina Ionescuand Courtney Williams); respected vets like Brittany Griner and Jewell Lloyd; as well as popular rookies, Angel ReeseKate Martin and Rickea Jackson. You can see the full list below:
- Breanna Stewart
- Napheesa Collier
- Chelsea Grey
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Jewell Lloyd
- Rhyne Howard
- Kahleah copper
- Jackie Young
- Angel Reese
- Dearica Hamby
- Kayla McBride
- Marina Mabrey
- Satou Sabally
- Allisha Gray
- Natasha Cloud
- Skyler Diggins-Smith
- Rickea Jackson
- Dijon Carrington
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Brittney Sykes
- Shakira Austin
- Tiffany Hayes
- Brittney Grinner
- Azurá Stevens
- Courtney Williams
- Kate Martin
- Aaliyah Edwards
- Lexi Hull
- Aliyah Boston
- Alyssa Thomas
- Stephanie Dolson
- Rae Burrell
- Jordyn Canada
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Cameron Brink
- Katie Lou Samuelson
Unmatched also announced signing of Natisha Hiedeman for a relief player contract on January 17th. Hiedeman is suspected to replace Marina Mabrey who recently suffered a right calf strain that sidelined her for at least two weeks, according to ESPN.
What unprecedented teams have been announced?
There are six basketball clubs in Unrivaled: Vinyl, Mist, Laces, Rose, Phantom and Lunar Owls. There are currently six players in each team:
- Vinyl BC – Arike Ogunbowale (Club Captain), Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rae Burrell
- Mist BC – Breanna Stewart (Club Captain), Jewell Loyd, Dijonai Carrington, Courtney Vandersloot, Aaliyah Edwards, Rikea Jackson
- Laces BC – Alyssa Thomas (Club Captain), Jackie Young, Kayla McBride, Stefanie Dolson, Kate Martin, Tiffany Hayes
- Rose BC – Chelsea Gray (Club Captain), Angel Reese, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes, Azurá Stevens, Lexie Hull
- Phantom BC – Satou Sabally (Club Captain), Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Katie Lou Samuelson, Marina Mabrey/Natisha Hiedeman
- Lunar Owls BC – Napheesa Collier (Club Captain), Courtney Williams, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Shakira Austin, Allisha Gray, Cameron Brink
What Unmatched Trainers Have Been Announced?
The unparalleled coaching staff is stacked with an all-star group of leaders, including:
- Teresa Weatherspoon – Vinyl BC
- Phil Handy – Mist BC
- Andrew Wade – Laces BC
- Nola Henry – Rose BC
- Adam Harrington – Phantom BC
- DJ Sackmann – Lunar Owls BC
When does unmatched basketball start?
The unprecedented season begins January 17th in Miami, FL. The season will last nine weeks, including playoffs, and the six teams will play in a round-robin schedule. The top four teams at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs. There will also be a 1v1 Championship within Unrivaled to determine the best 1v1 player in the world and according to Collier there will be a $250,000 prize.
So it’s a single elimination tournament to determine the best 1v1 player in the world. And I ACTUALLY shouldn’t say this but…first place gets at least $250k 💰🤑 https://t.co/8Jb2DYEXhs
— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) August 9, 2024
What will be the pay for unmatched players?
The league sets a record for the highest average salaries in women’s sports history, starting at $100,000. Inauguration Unmatched players will also receive stock ownership. This is monumental for WNBA players, considering that conversation around the league’s wage differentials and the need to play overseas during the WNBA offseason has been a point of contention among athletes for decades.
“As elite basketball players and also moms, we get it. We get both sides of it,” Stewart told PS in a recent interviewdiscusses the creation of Unrivaled. Stewart went on to say that she’s proud to be able to “make this league where players can stay home, have their families close and make sure W and these players are constantly relevant and top of mind and you don’t have to find out what country they are playing in abroad.”
Unrivaled also offers equity to players who are not on the team. In fact, it just announced several NIL partnerships with collegiate phenoms Flau’jae Johnson and Paige Bueckers.
Where can you buy unmatched tickets?
Tickets were released to Ticketmaster starting November 21. Subscribers to the newsletter received exclusive early access to tickets before they are sent to the general public.
Where can fans watch unparalleled basketball?
The league recently announced a multi-year partnership with TNT. You will be able to see unprecedented games three nights a week, according to AP News. Twice-weekly games will be shown on Mondays and Fridays on TNT, while games played on Saturdays will be shown on truTV. All games will also be streamed on Max.
The opening games on January 17th will feature Napheesa Collier and the Lunar Owls BC vs. Breanna Stewart and the Mist BC at 7:00 PM ET – The excitement of the WNBA Finals continues. Then, Angel Reese and the Rose BC will face Aliyah Boston and Vinyl BC at 8pm ET.
Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Before joining PS, she was a senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire and more.
