Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier to start U.S.-based league in WNBA offseason

Ramona ShelburneESPN Senior WriterJul 6, 2023, 12:09 PM ET5 Minute Read

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier have announced the creation of a groundbreaking women’s basketball league called Unrivaled. This league aims to provide top WNBA players with another option for playing domestically during the offseason, while accommodating the new prioritization rules implemented by the WNBA for the upcoming season.

Unrivaled will operate from January through March and showcase 30 of the top professional women’s basketball players on six teams. The games will be played in a state-of-the-art soundstage in Miami, featuring 3-on-3 and one-on-one matchups to bring a new level of excitement and entertainment to the sport.

The primary objective of Unrivaled is to secure sufficient private funding and sponsorships, enabling the players to receive comparable compensation to what they earn during the WNBA season. This financial support will help offset the lucrative contracts they would otherwise pursue overseas, in compliance with the new league rules requiring players to return from international commitments in time for the start of WNBA training camps.

“Unrivaled provides an opportunity for players to stay in their home country and play in a market like Miami, generating a buzz with the best WNBA players,” expressed Stewart. “As players, we have been fighting against the prioritization rule, which limits our choices. It’s a rule that takes away our agency, especially as women, and that shouldn’t be the case. However, we still have to follow it.”

To join the Liberty, Stewart accepted a salary significantly lower than the WNBA’s supermax salary for the 2023 season, which stands at $234,936.

The prioritization rules, established in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, dictate that players must return from overseas by the start of training camp to be eligible for the WNBA season. The overseas season often extends until mid-May, clashing with the start of the WNBA season.

Stewart, who played for the Turkish club Fenerbahce last offseason, acknowledged that she has always enjoyed the experience of playing overseas. However, with her wife expecting their second child this fall, she has been contemplating whether she wants to continue competing internationally.

During her reflections, Stewart connected with fellow UConn star Collier and her husband, Alex Bazzell, to discuss the potential of establishing a women’s league in the United States during the WNBA offseason.

“We had a conversation in New York, and Alex explained the idea of a league set in a digital basketball court environment, featuring 3-on-3 matches, one-on-one battles, and a queen-of-the-court concept with fixed but potentially growing salaries,” Stewart shared.

“We realized that many of our players are either overseas or not playing basketball during the offseason, and we see this as a missed opportunity,” she continued. “Top players want to play. They want to be at home, but it has to make sense financially. Unrivaled aims to change that by providing an alternative.”

Stewart has already engaged in numerous conversations with potential business partners for the new league. She expressed her enthusiasm for introducing people to women’s basketball and expanding their interest in the sport.

“I feel like I’m constantly explaining everything to companies, but it’s important to show them how to watch and appreciate us. Once they do, their investment and desire to watch us more will grow, and they’ll naturally follow the WNBA,” she explained.

Similarly, Collier decided to forego playing overseas after giving birth to her first child in 2022. However, her decision to help establish a new league was motivated not only by personal factors but also by the current state of women’s basketball.

“I’m naturally someone who enjoys being at home for the holidays. Being away from family for six months is not easy. Additionally, the narrative surrounding women’s basketball is concerning. Many college players have expressed a preference to stay in college rather than join the league,” Collier revealed.

“Women’s basketball is the only sport where this phenomenon occurs. We’ve made significant progress, but we aspire to achieve more. The current narrative is harmful, and we want to change that. We are in a unique era where people are gradually recognizing the value of women’s sports,” she added.

Stewart and Collier have assembled a team of business and sports industry leaders, including representatives from Twitter, DAZN, the WTA, and WWE, to assist with the league’s launch in January. The players they have approached thus far have shown great enthusiasm, provided that Unrivaled fulfills its promise of competitive salaries and the envisioned single-site league.

One of the players excited about the concept is Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray, who has engaged in overseas play and broadcasting during her previous offseasons.

“I’ve never had the chance to be here and solely focus on basketball,” Gray shared. “Throughout the year, people get to see our faces, and this league is an opportunity to grow women’s basketball. It doesn’t necessarily mean taking away other opportunities, but it allows players to continue competing, earning money, and bringing fans together.”

Gray is particularly intrigued by the prospect of playing 3-on-3 and one-on-one, which deviates from the traditional 5-on-5 format.

“It takes me back to those times when I would play 1-on-1 or 3-on-3 in the street to refine my skills. It creates a fun environment while still providing financial compensation,” she said.

“But 3-on-3 requires a different level of fitness. I need to start training for it. There’s more space and scoring opportunities. You find yourself on an island, without the safety net of help-side defense. On the Aces, I know A’ja [Wilson] or Candace [Parker] will be there to support me. But in 3-on-3, I have to approach the game differently,” Gray added.

In addition to Unrivaled, Athletes Unlimited is another newly established professional women’s league taking advantage of the extended WNBA offseason.

Athletes Unlimited held its inaugural season in Las Vegas from late January to late February 2022, with NaLyssa Smith, the former No. 2 overall draft pick, emerging as the individual champion in 2023.