"Important for players to have equity" - Breanna Stewart breaks down Unrivaled's aspirations & its coexistence with WNBA

WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier have joined forces to launch the Unrivaled Basketball League, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league debuting in January in Miami. The league’s mission is to offer top WNBA players a lucrative alternative to playing overseas during the offseason, complete with high salaries.

Unrivaled is said to provide the highest average salaries in the history of women’s professional sports, with every player earning at least six figures. Participants will also receive equity in the league.

In a YouTube video titled “Hi Me In 5 Years” on the Unrivaled channel, Breanna Stewart expressed her vision for the league and its potential to transform women’s sports.

“It's really important for players to have equity in Unrivaled, because there's never gonna be another first,” she said. “Excited to have the league about to be up and running and continue to see where we're gonna grow so then when we look back five years from now, 10 years from now, it'll only be bigger and better.”

Stewart emphasized that Unrivaled aims to establish itself as a key fixture in the WNBA offseason, reducing the need for players to compete overseas for financial reasons.

“I think it's obviously really important to invest in women's sports, just knowing the way women's basketball used to work,” she said. “You used to play W, you used to go overseas, and now kind of changing that pattern and keeping players home in a different market where we're able to get better, have fun, make money.”

“What I want to see Unrivaled become is just a league that kind of takes the space of its own that continues to build in the W's offseason, and it's a place where people can know where to go to look to find the top W players.”

How much will Unrivaled pay its players?

According to the Sports Business Journal, the average salary in Unrivaled is expected to be around $250,000.

This significantly surpasses current WNBA earnings, where the 2024 minimum base salary is $64,150, and the supermax cap is $241,984.

The Unrivaled season will span eight weeks during the WNBA offseason, and players will not only earn substantial salaries but also gain equity in the league.

The league boasts a star-studded roster, including Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, DiJonai Carrington, Marina Mabrey, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Satou Sabally, Dearica Hamby, Brittney Griner and more.

Unrivaled has also reportedly extended a substantial offer to Caitlin Clark, though the superstar guard has yet to accept.