WNBA vs. Unrivaled league ball: Dimensions, weight, and more compared

The newly formed Unrivaled Basketball League earlier this month rolled out the game ball to be used for its inuagural season, which tips off on Jan. 17 in Miami, Florida. With Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the 3-on-3 league signed a partnership as a part of their shared vision and commitment to supporting women's basketball.

Called the EVO NXT basketball, the Wilson ball will be used for all games of Unrivaled, which will run for three months, until March 17, including the playoffs. It's designed to further highlight the players' different skills in what's seen as a competitive and innovative league.

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WNBA vs. Unrivaled league ball: Dimensions, weight, and more

The Wilson EVO NXT basketball in Unrivaled is the same size as the standard basketball, with a circumference of 29.5 inches and a diameter of 9.43-9.51 inches. Its' a tad bigger than that used in the WNBA, which has a circumference of 28.5 inches and a weight of 20 ounces.

In line with its branding, Unrivaled's ball has its signature blue and official logo while featuring Extended Range Technology, an enhanced grip, soft touch, moisture-wicking surface and laid-in channels along with a micro-touch cover that creates a double-layered grip for an authentic feel.

WNBA basketballs, meanwhile, have an orange and white color, also part of its branding. It was decided to have such a color to differentiate it from the all-orange balls used in the NBA and for better appreciation of the players' shots.

However, the balls also make use of Wilson's Extended Range Tech technology and features enhanced grip, a soft feel, moisture-wicking surface and a dual-layer grip.

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Unrivaled Basketball League a viable alternative

The Unrivaled Basketball League was co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx.

It's geared towards providing a viable alternative to women's professional players to showcase their stuff while earning good money without necessarily going overseas during the WNBA offseason.

Both Stewart and Collier played overseas and know the sacrifices women players have to make. It's something they hope to address with the newly formed 3-on-3 league, which is targeting an average salary for players of $222,222, higher than the regular max contract of $214,466 for the 2025 WNBA season.

For its inaugural season, six teams of six players are set to compete, namely, Laces Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Lunar Owls, Phantom Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball.

WNBA players set to action in the league include Stewart, Collier, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Loyd, Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, Satou Sabally, Angel Reese, Aliyah Boston and Dearica Hamby.

All games will be broadcast over Wanber Bros Discovery's TNT Sports under a multiyear media rights deal.