Unrivaled League Set to Debut, Offering Unprecedented Salaries and Equity for Women's Basketball Players

The long-awaited Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, led by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is set to launch in approximately eight months, promising revolutionary salaries and player empowerment.

Two-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier have spearheaded the creation of the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, which is poised to transform the landscape of women's professional sports. Players are set to begin competing in the league in around eight months, and they can expect to earn the highest average salaries in women's professional sports league history.

Athletes in the Unrivaled league will receive no less than six figures, according to Collier and Stewart, dwarfing the average WNBA base salary of around $130,000. Moreover, players will have the unique opportunity to take advantage of an equity stake in the new league, a groundbreaking move that grants them a share of the league's future growth and success.

"Compensation is a huge part of Unrivaled as a league and a business," Collier emphasized to The Associated Press. "All the players in this first year will have equity in the league. For players to have a piece of the pie essentially to grow their generational wealth is something we're really excited about."

The league's generous salaries and equity provisions are a direct response to the financial disparities that have long plagued women's sports. Many WNBA players have been forced to resort to playing overseas during the offseason to supplement their income. The Unrivaled league aims to address this issue by providing a viable alternative that offers both financial security and opportunities for personal growth.

"It's amazing, not only for the salaries to be similar or more than your WNBA salary, but to be able to build brand partnerships that can't come into the W or the NBA," Stewart said. "It's more than just an initial salary, but showing these companies who you are as a player."

The Unrivaled league will feature 30 players divided into six teams, playing two games a week on a court about two-thirds the size of a WNBA court. Games will be four quarters long, with less time in each quarter than a traditional WNBA contest. The league has secured a star-studded group of investors, including former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, as well as American soccer stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.

"Investing in women's sports there's a ROI for it now," said Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell. "We wanted to have a group of people we could call up and say 'Hey can you help in this area?'"

The Unrivaled league has come a long way since its inception two years ago, when Stewart and Collier first discussed the idea. The league has attracted significant interest from players, investors, and fans alike, and it is poised to make a major impact on the world of women's basketball.

"There's nothing not to like about it, the only thing people are scared of is that it's in its first year," Stewart acknowledged. "But we're confident in the product that we're putting out there."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.