Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart were named Sports Illustrated Innovators of the Year on Dec. 18. This award came from their co-founding the player-owned league, Unrivaled.
Unrivaled was officially announced on May 30, 2024. Striving to give WNBA players a different option when it comes to their offseason destination. At this time, being the only professional offseason women’s league located in the United States, many players are loving the short commute compared to flying overseas. Located in Miami, Florida, there are very few cities that can give a better and bigger audience. While the league also obtained partnerships with the likes of Samsung Galaxy, Sephora U.S. and TNT Sports. Having a total of 21 partnerships to date, they are ensuring their name is known in the industry.
This upcoming 2026 season will be just the second season in Unrivaled history. In just the first year alone, the league averaged 221,000 viewers on a TNT and truTV simulcast. It also achieved an astounding 11.9 million total views.
What is Unrivaled Basketball
Differing from other leagues’ five-on-five format, Unrivaled decided to go a different route, not only just going with a 3-on-3 style league but additionally adding a 1-on-1 tournament. Notably, many NBA fans love 1-on-1 style tournaments with constant requests to bring it to the league. The league also forces fast-paced play by using a condensed court with an 18-second shot clock.
Currently, the league hosts a total of 48 players playing for eight separate teams. Players go through a unique draft-style selection, being divided into “pods” based on their positions to try and make the teams as fair as possible. To ensure there is not one team with all the bigs or all guards. The coaches go back and forth selecting 6 total players to represent their team.
Furthermore, Unrivaled already has accomplished so much in the matter of a year, undoubtedly showing a strive for continuous growth. It is looking like the league will be around for a very long time. The two stars will be receiving their award next Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Wynn Las Vegas, the official home of Sportsperson.
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Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
