Multiple overseas basketball leagues are available to players in the offseason, often paying a better price than the WNBA. A common problem- you aren’t on your home turf. There has not been a way for female basketball players to have a feasible offseason in the States, until now. The Unrivaled Basketball League is the newest way for female players to train, be on the big screen, and get big bucks all while staying in the USA.
Unrivaled started with WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. They wanted a way for players to play during the offseason while not having to go out of the country. Typically, players don’t make enough money in the regular season, causing most to play overseas in the offseason. With this new league, however, there is an opportunity to be homebound while still getting paid to work on your game.
The actual games will be run similarly to what we can see in the Olympics 3×3. The courts are a shorter full court, meant to fit the 3-on-3 game, which will be divided into four, seven-minute quarters. The Unrivaled season is set to be eight weeks and has a round-robin schedule. The top four teams are meant to advance to the playoffs.
Six teams have already been made, but no rosters have been set as of now. Those teams are the Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose, and Vinyl Basketball Clubs. Each of these teams has six roster spots. As of November 20th, thirty-four of the thirty-six players have officially been announced as members of the league, with big names like Angel Reese and Kelsey Plum. However no official rosters have been made as the two last spots haven’t been filled.
One of the most wanted and anticipated players is Caitlin Clark. Unrivaled said that Clark “knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready,” in regards to Clark’s ominous answers when asked if she’ll join the league. After a great rookie season, Unrivaled wants Clark to “decompress” during her offseason, but the alleged $1 million per season seems hard to pass up for most players. Girls head varsity basketball coach Jackie Turpin wouldn’t join if she was Clark. “I want to see her rest and play in season,” said Ms.Turpin. She also pointed out that Clark is getting money from sponsorships, and has the trainers to work on her game.
Girls Varsity basketball player Ada Foltz would join the league if she could. “Being able to play ‘for fun,’ but getting good conditioning in, and playing with people you might not have been able to in the first place.” Foltz thinks the league is a really good idea for players wanting to train in the offseason. Another big reason for joining is the money. Big sponsors like State Farm are providing funding for the league in general. Not to mention the huge multi-year broadcasting deal with TNT Sports. “TV money is massive,” said Ms. Turpin. She also said another factor keeping players interested is the ability to stay home in the US. Ms Turpin pointed out how “you get to play in front of your very own.”
Risks are something that also has to be considered when joining any sports league. The major risks are no rest, wearing out, or even getting injured. Players don’t want something that happens to them in the offseason to contribute to their downfall in the regular season. The frustrating part for players is that most don’t get the luxury of being able to rest during their offseason. Instead, they have a way to make money and continue doing what they know best.
If Unrivaled is maintained and continues as a part of women’s sports, we can hope that players will stay healthier and have longer careers. Ms.Turpin hopes the accessibility of Unrivaled will lead fans to be “buying, knowing, attending,” which will increase profit, interest, and viewership. Foltz said anything that can be added to women’s basketball and female sports to promote publicity is a win.
Because of these big names, people are more likely to turn on an Unrivaled game as it’s an “easy segue” for fans, as described by Ms. Turpin. “As a viewer, you wouldn’t have to do a lot of work because you will know at least one person on the screen at all times.”
Unrivaled is set to start soon in January of next year in Miami. It was “built in collaboration with the biggest stars in women’s basketball,” and will hopefully contribute to not only the players and their pockets but women’s sports as a whole. With accessibility, popular names, and a fun and interesting setup- the success seems predictable.
