Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Liberty forward Breanna Stewart are launching a new women’s basketball league called “Unrivaled” in January, the WNBA stars told ESPN on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The league will include six franchises with 30 of the top players from the WNBA expected to participate in three-on-three and one-on-one games.
- The league will be played from January to March in Miami during the WNBA offseason.
- The aim is that players will earn competitive salaries similar to that of their WNBA contracts.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How could the new league impact potential overseas decisions?
In addition to being able to supplement one’s income, one of the main reasons so many WNBA players go overseas in the winter is that it provides them with an opportunity to take part in high-level competition year-round. As it currently stands, the WNBA season, lasts, at most, half the year, leaving players to find other places to improve while not in the W.
In recent years, Athletes Unlimited has provided some players a short-term U.S.-based alternative in the spring, before the WNBA season begins. And the creation of a new three-on-three venture would appear to allow players with another place to have their skills develop stateside, during a time…
