WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier could revolutionize women’s professional sports with the launch of their new 3-on-3 basketball league, Unrivaled, debuting in January. Players in Unrivaled will earn the highest average salary in the history of women’s professional sports leagues, marking a significant milestone for athlete compensation.
Collier and Stewart have confirmed that all player salaries in Unrivaled will be six figures, and every player will hold an equity stake in the league. The approach is designed to enhance the financial stability and future wealth of its players.
“It’s really important to us,” Collier said, as reported by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “Compensation is a huge part of Unrivaled as a league and a business. All the players in this first year will have equity in the league. For players to have a piece of the pie essentially to grow their generational wealth is something we’re really excited about.”
Stewart emphasized the significance of this compensation model, noting that many WNBA players spend their offseasons playing overseas to supplement their incomes. With an average WNBA base salary of around $130,000 and top players earning over $500,000 through various agreements, Unrivaled aims to match or exceed these figures while providing additional opportunities for brand partnerships.
“It’s amazing, not only for the salaries to be similar or more than your WNBA salary, but to be able to build brand partnerships that can’t come into the W or the NBA,” Stewart said. “It’s more than just an initial salary, but showing these companies who you are as a player.”
Announced last summer, Unrivaled will run for eight weeks, featuring 30 players divided into six teams. Each team will play two games a week on a court approximately two-thirds the size of a standard WNBA court. The games will consist of four shorter quarters, with specific rules to be released later.
“I think the fact this runs opposite the WNBA season, it’s another option for these women to play in come winter time. So you have your WNBA salary for some of these players, along with this significantly elevated number that they’re giving these players,” said The Athletic reporter Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show. “This sets a record, the highest average salary in women’s professional sports history, and that is a key mark … I am curious how does this affect the WNBA salaries moving forward, how does this affect other leagues who are trying to replicate something like this.”
Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell highlighted the league's focus on enhancing the viewing experience by addressing space and pace issues often seen in women’s basketball.
“This was built as a product,” Bazzell said. “It’s meant to solve some of the things that I think just from an average fan’s perspective watching women’s basketball that is missing. It’s space, it’s pace. Some of the things that make the college game and NBA great to watch. At the same time, it’s not an All-Star game with trading baskets and everyone having fun. It’s meant to bring out the best of the best to compete.”
Several WNBA stars already signed with Unrivaled
While the full rosters have yet to be announced, Stewart and Collier mentioned that several WNBA All-Stars have already signed on. The league is setting up player accommodations about 15 minutes from the Miami-based facility, which is currently being developed. Collier highlighted the importance of providing amenities such as childcare, weight rooms, and recovery rooms to support the players’ well-being.
Unrivaled has attracted a robust group of investors, including notable figures like Carmelo Anthony, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Wie West, Ashton Kutcher, Steve Nash and Geno Auriemma.
“It’s not just about the dollars, but the relationships they have. We’ve been very selective with the people we brought in,” Bazzell said. “Investing in women’s sports there’s an ROI for it now. We wanted to have a group of people we could call up and say ‘Hey, can you help in this area?’”
Former ESPN President John Skipper and former Turner President David Levy are also on board, with Levy spearheading the league’s media rights deals and sponsorship sales efforts. Levy expressed his enthusiasm for the league's potential, noting the current surge in interest in women’s basketball.
“I’ve never seen a win, win, win like this on all aspects that there are no losers,” Levy said. “The fans win, the media companies win, the leagues win, the ladies win. It seems unusual to get all that lined up at a moment in time. It’s like a penny stock that can go to a $10 in, you know, a year from now, two years from now.”
Stewart and Collier reflected on the basketball league’s journey from a concept discussed over dinner two years ago to its imminent launch, expressing optimism despite the uncertainties of the first year.
“There’s nothing not to like about it, the only thing people are scared of is that it’s in its first year,” Stewart said.
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