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Unrivaled made a significant move by expanding their roster from 30 players to 36, per an announcement by the league on their social media accounts. With the move, there will now be six players across the six teams already established: Lunar Owls, Laces, Mist, Rose, Phantom and Vinyl. The additional six players will also be receiving equity in Unrivaled similar to the first 30 players announced.
36 players 👑
6 basketball clubs 🏀
6 players per club ✅ https://t.co/vHWP2eeVVS— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) October 31, 2024
To make the expansion of roster spots happen, the founders of the league are diluting their equity shares to make room for the six new players. The expansion is due to the success the league is already achieving, as they inked a huge deal with TNT Sports as a broadcast partner and have secured several sponsorship and brand partnership opportunities.
“It has allowed us a lot more flexibility,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in comments obtained by Sportico. “It allows us to bring in six more premium athletes who will also be part of the ownership group. It was strictly a business decision; as we make money there will be more opportunities.”
The league is still optimistic that reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark will choose to join them. The expansion is notable as several fellow WNBA players linked to Clark have announced that they'd be participating in unrivaled. Clark's former Iowa teammate Kate Martin was announced to be joining the league and Clark's current Indiana Fever teammates Lexie Hull and Aaliyah Boston were announced this week as well.
“We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark. We’re not applying a full-court press the way people think. We are letting her decompress from basketball. … She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready,” Bazzell said.
Bazzell's comments come as Front Office Sports senior reporter Michael McCarthy reported last week that Unrivaled was looking to give Caitlin Clark $1 million and incentives to play in the league. McCarthy described the deal that the league was looking to give Clark as a “Lionel Messi-like offer.
MLS superstar Lionel Messi got a groundbreaking deal from Inter Miami CF to join their club, including a contract valued at $150 million, partial ownership in the organization, and even revenue from Apple MLS Season Pass among other incentives.
Although Clark playing in Unrivaled could certainly be interesting for the league, she said she looked to take a break from basketball following the conclusion of the WNBA season per comments from ESPN’s Ryan Rucco during game two of the Fever’s WNBA Playoff matchup against the Connecticut Sun.
“We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today. She said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April.”
In previous comments obtained by the Sports Business Journal from Brazzel, the league recognizes that Clark wants to take a break from the game but is still ready to pursue her as a potential addition.
“And then with Caitlin, what we’ve always tried to do with every player, you have to treat them with the cards that they’re dealt. She’s been through the last year and a half probably more mentally and emotionally than any women’s athlete’s been through, as far as anyone can remember. So we haven’t had that firm dialogue or firm offer just yet. We are going to make that offer. It’s going to be a historic offer, but we’re giving her time to mentally escape basketball before we sit down and have that conversation.”
The players in the league will receive a six-figure salary boasted as the “highest salaries in professional women’s sports league history” along with the equity stakes that all participants will have in the league. Unrivaled tips off on January 17, 2025. The full roster of players will be announced on November 20th.
