A new era begins tomorrow as the new women’s basketball league, Unrivaled, kicks off its inaugural season with Mist vs. Lunar Owls and Rose vs. Vinyl, promising not only a competitive field, but also offering players competitive salaries and league ownership.
This is a completely different format than what we know today, 3×3 with six teams, each with their own unique identity. It will be played on a smaller court as opposed to a WNBA court. For now, there are 6 teams that will be available in this inaugural campaign: Laces, Mist, Lunar Owls, Vinyl, Phantom and Rose.
The eight-week season will feature teams playing for their lives in Miami, with a custom-built venue that will be the backdrop for this league. With more than $35 million in prize money secured thanks to the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Phelps and Linda Henry,Unrivaled is poised for a groundbreaking debut.
The brains behind the project to change women’s sports
Dawn Staley is one of the sponsors of the innovative women’s 3×3 basketball league known as Unrivaled. The league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, aims to provide a domestic option for female basketball players to play games in the off-season instead of traveling to foreign tournaments.
“I think it’s going to be a success. It’s a great time because we’re in a great place where women’s basketball is wanted, we’re in demand,” she said. “I would have supported it without any financial support, just because I am a fan and an enthusiast of women’s basketball,” Staley told the Greensville News.
Dawn makes it very clear that this is not about investing in just another league, it’s about providing a product and showcasing the talent of women in the sport, something that doesn’t happen very often in the United States.