A buzzer-beating idea took flight last year, and it’s shaping up to be the most intriguing off-season play yet. Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, is shaking up the world of hoops before it even tips off. This week, co-founder and WNBA star Napheesa Collier announced that Unrivaled had just signed its 30th player—Indiana Fever’s breakout center and rising star Aliyah Boston. But there’s still one name on everyone’s mind: the queen of Iowa, Caitlin Clark.
Collier, joined by New York Liberty standout Breanna Stewart in founding Unrivaled, has seen early success with the venture, attracting some of the WNBA’s most electric talents to build a league that’s both entertaining and refreshing—especially for players who’d rather avoid jet-lagged trips to Siberia or Istanbul. Their mission? To bring a bold, fast-paced, and wallet-friendly alternative for female players stateside. And with an expanded 36-player roster, they’re doing just that.
“We had planned for 30 players, but hey, turns out people love women’s basketball and want to see it grow,” Collier beamed in a recent video, tongue-in-cheek acknowledging that outperforming financial projections doesn’t happen every day in women’s sports. “Now we get to do something we thought we’d do later, which is give more people spots in Unrivaled.”
Unrivaled is more than a league; it’s a chance for players to grab a slice of ownership too. Playing in Unrivaled won’t just earn players a paycheck but a bit of stock in the game. The eight-week season is set to take place during the WNBA’s offseason, giving fans a basketball fix and giving players a court that’s a little closer to home.
Aliyah Boston’s arrival to Unrivaled is no small win either. She’s been a defensive force since her rookie season, averaging a whopping 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and just generally making opponents question their life choices near the basket. Joining Boston on the Unrivaled roster are more headliners: Chicago Sky’s high-energy forward Angel Reese, Seattle’s sharpshooting Jewell Loyd, and Dallas Wings’ crafty scorer Arike Ogunbowale.
But all eyes are on one more potential star addition—the woman who has been breaking records and giving Big Ten coaches nightmares for years: Caitlin Clark. The 3-point phenom, fresh off another season of Iowa dominance, is currently being courted by Unrivaled with a hefty $1 million per season offer. That’s a lot of zeros to ponder for anyone, especially in a league not even on TV screens yet.
Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled’s president and designated Caitlin Clark fan club president, insists they’re not applying pressure. “We’re not full-court pressing Caitlin the way people think,” he laughed in an interview with Sportico. “We’re letting her decompress from basketball…but, uh, she knows we have a spot.”
For Clark, the decision is a crossroads moment—does she jump into Unrivaled and light up the 3-on-3 court, or does she continue to carve her path in the traditional 5-on-5 spotlight? One thing’s for sure: wherever Caitlin Clark chooses to shoot her next deep three, the world will be watching, and Unrivaled will keep her roster spot warm.
.jpg){kind=link}