Unrivaled (basketball)

The league was co-founded in 2023 by basketball players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, in part to allow Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) players to play domestically and to bypass complications from the WNBA's prioritization rule for players who choose to play overseas in the WNBA offseason.^[3][1] Players would be paid a salary and receive equity in the league.^[1][4] Early investors in Unrivaled included former ESPN president John Skipper and the former president of Turner Broadcasting, David Levy,^[2] who would both also lead the league's media rights and sponsorship sales.^[5] In May 2024, Unrivaled announced it had closed its seed funding.^[6] By January 2025, the league had over $35 million in funding.^[1] Players announced to be joining Unrivaled included Stewart and Collier, as well as Aliyah Boston, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Angel Reese, and Jackie Young. Coaches joining the league's first season, and their prospective teams, included:^[4][1]

• Phil Handy — Mist Basketball Club
• Adam Harrington — Phantom Basketball Club
• Nola Henry — Rose Basketball Club
• DJ Sackmann — Lunar Owls Basketball Club
• Andrew Wade — Laces Basketball Club
• Teresa Weatherspoon — Vinyl Basketball Club

Unrivaled's inaugural season began on January 17, 2025, in Medley, Florida, near Miami,^[5] with plans for the 2026 season to have games played across the U.S.^[7] The first season featured 36 players for six teams, and was played for eight weeks, with games on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.^[1] On February 8, 2025, a game between Laces BC and Vinyl BC had to be cancelled because of a lack of available players due to injuries.^[8][9] The league's first one-on-one single-elimination tournament, which took place from February 10 to 14, 2025, was won by Collier.^[10] The league's first championship was won by Rose BC on March 17, 2025.^[11] In September 2025, Unrivaled announced two new teams, Hive BC and Breeze BC, bringing its total to eight teams.^[12]

Ahead of its second season, the league added 25% more seats to its Miami arena. It also added a fourth night of games and eliminated back-to-back game days. Games would be played on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and air on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.^[12]

The league's second season began on January 5, 2026,^[9] with a lineup of 54 players, including more than a dozen first-time players, such as Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers. As of 2026, more than three-quarters of Unrivaled's players were signed to multi-year deals.^[12]

Unrivaled had originally planned to expand in 2027, rather than in 2026, but president Alex Bazzell (who is married to Collier) said plans changed due to the league outperforming its financial projections.^[9]

On January 30, 2026, a league game in Philadelphia set a record for the highest attendance of any professional women's basketball regular-season game, with a total attendance of 21,490.^[13] In February 2026, it was announced that Unrivaled would be moving it semifinals to Barclays Center after making $2 million in revenue at the January game in Philadelphia.^[14] The league's second championship was won by Mist BC on March 4, 2026.^[15]

Games are played on a full court with two ends, and consist of three seven-minute periods followed by a "winning score" fourth period played under Elam Ending conditions.^[16][a] In Unrivaled's implementation, a "winning score" is determined by adding 11 points to the leading team's (or tied teams') score at the end of the third period. The game then continues with no game clock but with an active shot clock, and the first team to reach or exceed the "winning score" wins.^[18][1]

The court is a compressed full court billed as 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. The width is slightly less than that of courts in the WNBA, 49.2 feet versus 50 feet, while the length is noticeably shorter, 72 feet instead of 94 feet. It is slightly larger than courts used for 3x3 basketball competitions in the Olympics, which is a half court with a 36-foot by 49-foot surface area.^[19][1]

The shot clock in Unrivaled is shortened to 18 seconds for full possession (less than the WNBA's 24 seconds and college basketball's 30 seconds).^[19][20] The game clock only stops on baskets made in the final 30 seconds of a period.^[19][18]

Another change made in Unrivaled is to free throws resulting from personal fouls. Players are awarded one free throw after being fouled, with a successful free throw worth two points if fouled on a two-point shot or three points for a three-point shot.^[20] Free throws earned when fouled on a made basket are worth one point, as in the WNBA.^[20] Players will foul out after six personal fouls.^[19] However, if a team only has three remaining available players, no one will foul out.^[20] Instead, the player left on the court with six personal fouls will be given a technical foul and give the opposing team a one-point free throw opportunity.^[20]

The season includes nine weeks of total play, including playoffs. The teams play in a round-robin schedule. The top four teams in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season make the playoffs.

Unrivaled features a 1-on-1 single elimination tournament played in February to determine the best 1-on-1 player in the world. The winner of the tournament receives a $200,000 grand prize, the runner-up gets $50,000, and the last two semifinalists get $25,000.^[21] The first season's tournament saw Napheesa Collier beat Aaliyah Edwards.^[10] The season season's tournament saw Chelsea Gray defeat Allisha Gray.^[22]

On October 24, 2024, the inaugural six team names were announced.^[23] Teams do not have geographic connections, although the branding was created with a consideration for potential future sale and relocation of the teams.^[23] The rosters for each team are decided by a selection committee that sorts players based on their position and skill level.^[5][24] Each team has a head coach, an assistant coach, and a team manager.^[25] Ahead of the 2026 season, the league added a dedicated athletic trainer and a player development coach to each team.^[12]

For the 2026 season, the inaugural six clubs returned with the addition of two new clubs, Breeze BC and Hive BC, and a formal player development pool.^[26] Adding two teams opened up 12 new roster spots.^[9]

The 2025 season aired on TNT and TruTV, and streamed on HBO Max in the U.S.^[63]