The guiding principle of Unrivaled in its first season is optimizing player experience, and a primary part of that package is player development. The new 3×3 women’s basketball league, which begins Friday in Miami, has pitched itself as an additive to the WNBA — intended to help players expand their games during the WNBA offseason, which is an important factor to ensure the two entities complement one another.
“That was the missing thing when we played overseas was you’re not getting that development,” said Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart, a WNBA star for the New York Liberty. “You’re not getting that every day, getting a little bit better. And here, we are.”
In support of that effort, Unrivaled’s coaches come from mostly player development and training backgrounds, as do league president Alex Bazzell and president of basketball operations Luke Cooper. Success in Year 1 of Unrivaled will include players’ honing skills that will translate to five-on-five play.
Even though Unrivaled is a three-on-three league, the league’s stakeholders are confident their style of play is compatible with WNBA basketball given the full-court setup compared to FIBA 3×3.
Practice views 👑👟 pic.twitter.com/y0wy7dz6YK
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January…
