A professional league for women’s three-on-three basketball will debut in January 2025 – and in Miami, to judge by its placeholder website. Called Unrivaled, the league was co-founded by WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. According to Sportico, it has just undergone a round of seed funding, whose financial terms remain undisclosed.
Among the investors are Alex Morgan, co-captain of the women’s US Soccer team, who is operating through Trybe Ventures; Morgan’s former teammate Megan Rapinoe; the former NBA players Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony; the LGPA player Michelle Wie West; Cleveland Cavs General Manager Koby Altman; UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma; the CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk; and actor Ashton Kutcher.
Horizon Sports and Experiences, whose co-CEO David Levy is another investor, will be negotiating Unrivaled’s media deals and sponsorships.
The league will have 30 players split into six teams. It has reportedly signed several from the WNBA and will reveal the full roster in the summer.
Every player will have a share in the equity pool, which will vest over four years. The league’s minimum annual salary will be $100,000, the highest on average in women’s sports.
The league, says Stewart, will give players the option to play in the US during the off-season rather than ship off for Europe.
Image: Jacob Rice on Unsplash
