Unrivaled Sets The Stage For A Game-Changing Debut Season

Unrivaled is gearing up to launch its highly anticipated inaugural season this January, promising to redefine the women's basketball offseason with its unique format and fresh approach.

Unrivaled aims to captivate audiences and set a new standard in the women's sports world. With excitement building and a groundbreaking debut just weeks away, this new venture is poised to make an unforgettable mark on the industry.

As The Blast previously reported, this new offseason women's league, started by New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, will change how WNBA players spend their offseason.

The new league is not competing with the WNBA, but rather, giving players an option other than playing overseas during the offseason.

In 2023, Steward explained to ESPN, "It's the ability for players to stay home. To be in a market like Miami where we can just be the buzz and create that with the best WNBA players. We can't keep fighting [the WNBA's prioritization rule]. It is a rule that takes away our choices, which should never be a thing, especially as women, but it's still a rule."

Her statement went on to say that the players have all been talking and realized they are "missing a moment." She said she thinks top players want to be playing during the offseason.

Collier shared her own personal experience of playing overseas during the offseason and how that impacted her decision to help create this new league.

"I think it just really opened my eyes even more to the problem that we have going overseas," she said. "It's really hard to be away from family for so long, but unfortunately, it's like really the only option we have if we wanna make money in the offseason, we want to continue to grow our game, and it just leaves a huge hole marketing wise, so we just saw a lot of issues that we wanted to try to find a solution for."

In early December, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. unveiled Unrivaled's official game ball.

According to a press release obtained by The Blast, "The official ball, Wilson's EVO NXT basketball, features Extended Range Technology, an enhanced grip, soft touch, moisture-wicking surface, and laid-in channel along with a micro-touch cover that creates a double-layered grip for an authentic feel."

The ball is highlighted by the league's signature blue and official logo.

Wilson's partnership with the new women's basketball league demonstrates their commitment to supporting women's basketball, as they currently serve as the presenting sponsor of multiple youth tournaments, Women's March Madness, and the WNBA.

"Investing in the female athlete has transformed Wilson's business, and we are committed to continuing empowering players on and off the court," David Picioski, Head of Global Brand Partnerships and Collaborations at Wilson said. "Since Unrivaled is a player-owned league, it was the perfect next step for Wilson to get involved and bring innovative products to athletes who know and love our brand. We've been in the women's basketball game for decades, at all levels, and we are always excited for the continued growth we see."

A few days ago, Unrivaled announced a multiyear partnership with Under Armour as its official and exclusive partner and performance outfitter. Under Armour will provide all on-court uniforms for the inaugural season, and will also equip players, coaches, and staff with performance apparel and accessories to fit their on and off court needs. They will also provide basketball footwear options for all players who do not have an active shoe deal.

"Under Armour is all about creating products that help athletes perform at their best, and we couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Unrivaled to outfit some of the best women's basketball players in the world as they compete on this new stage," Sean Eggert, Under Armour's Senior Vice President of Global Sports Marketing said, according to a press release.

Unrivaled player and Under Armour athlete Marina Mabrey explained that she's excited about Unrivaled so she can stay in the States and continue to play basketball during the offseason.

"WNBA players have not been able to really do that at this level, so that is a huge positive," she said. "And then having Under Armour partner with Unrivaled is just amazing. It shows that Under Armour is serious about investing in women's basketball, and it will give the brand more exposure with WNBA and top athletes as well as their fans, allowing them to showcase everything they have to offer."

 Unrivaled's President, Alex Bazzell, added, "This partnership is more than just a collaboration; it's a commitment to empowering our athletes and coaching staff with the tools and resources they need to elevate their game." 

It's been reported that Unrivaled's salary pool exceeds $8 million, and that doesn't include equity or revenue sharing payments, which all initial 36 players will receive.

Bazzell told SB Nation in a recent interview, "We are really changing the outlook of the ecosystem holistically. You're seeing more leagues bumping up their pay because that's where the space is now. We're proud to play a part in that growth of just the economics of these players being paid a lot of money to play basketball. That's where we want to get to. It's great to have brand deals, it's great to have all this off-court stuff, but at the end of the day, we want to be able to pay them high salaries on the court."

Each player will not be getting an equal salary, but the average is $222,222 if all 36 spots are filled. This average is higher than the regular max contract in the WNBA of $214,466.

Unrivaled's season begins in January and continues through March, concluding before WNBA training camp begins in April.

The league recently released the upcoming schedule on Instagram. They also share information on players, merchandise, ticket information, and more on Instagram.

Unrivaled will be based in Miami for the 2025 season, scheduled to tip off on January 17 and will run for two months. Each team will play 14 games during the regular season, followed by playoffs set for March 16 to 18, 2025.

Unrivaled consists of six teams - Mist BC, Phantom BC, Laces BC, Lunar Owls BC, Vinyl BC, and Rose BC.