The concept of three-on-three basketball is relatively new in the sports realm, first appearing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The American women’s team have already proved their dominance in the sport, taking home medals at both of the two only Olympics since the sport was introduced to the Games. After the women earned gold in Tokyo and bronze in Paris, it became clear that this concept was of interest to both high-level players and dedicated basketball fans.
Unrivaled is a three-on-three women’s basketball league aimed at allowing Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players to play during the offseason without having to go overseas to do so. The league currently includes six teams, with six players on each team.
Unrivaled was co-founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart and two-time Olympic gold medalist and O’Fallon, Missouri native, Napheesa Collier. These two women were teammates and National Champions at the University of Connecticut during their college careers before collaborating to start the league.
The first season of play in the Unrivaled league brought unprecedented success, exceeding both financial and viewer expectations. Beginning in January 2025, the nine-week season was broadcast on TNT and Max and averaged 221,000 viewers per regular season game. The league also brought in $27 million in revenue, which includes aspects such as ticket and merchandise sales.
Unrivaled gained a multitude of influential investors leading up to and during its inaugural season. Standout names include soccer player and two-time Olympic medalist, Alex Morgan, along with current National Basketball Association (NBA) Golden State Warriors star, Steph Curry.
Along with investors, Unrivaled gained sponsorships from popular brands throughout the first season, including State Farm, Miller Lite, Under Armour and many others. The relationship between the league and Under Armour expanded to include the creation and sale of jerseys later in the season, which sold out in less than an hour after being dropped.
The ability of Unrivaled to draw support from a crowd of renowned athletes as well as from popular brands shows the potential for growth of the league and demonstrates the increasing popularity of women’s sports.
The rapid success of Unrivaled can be partially attributed to the well-known names that have been signed to play, bringing greater attention and more viewers to the league. These players include the 2023 NCAA Champion with LSU and current Chicago Sky forward, Angel Reese, as well as the 2021 NCAA Champion with Stanford and current Los Angeles Sparks forward, Cameron Brink.
Additionally, both Stewart and Collier play in the league that they co-founded. The mix of college stars, WNBA standouts and Olympic champions makes for a league of high-energy and well-experienced players.
Alex Bazzell, husband of Collier, is the current president of Unrivaled and is a known trainer in the college, NBA and WNBA world. Looking back on the first season of the league, Bazzell recognizes the success that they had, but also looks forward to the future and aims to build on what has already been established.
“I think for us, we’re obviously excited about what we did in year one. We have to continue to be aggressive and be innovative in ways that just increase our ability to drive value, both to the players, the fans, and our shareholders,” Bazzell told Forbes.
Bazzell has expressed ideas about how he hopes to expand Unrivaled in the future. Currently, the league plays at Wayfair Arena in Miami, which seats 850 fans. Although Bazzell has mentioned wanting to increase the in-person audience for games, he is consistent in his goal for fans to continue to have an intimate and unique experience when attending Unrivaled games.
One way that Bazzell is thinking of executing this idea is by creating a “touring” model of game play, where games would be played in different areas of the country, giving fans the opportunity to attend games without having to travel to Miami. Bazzell has also hinted at the idea of increasing the number of roster spots past 36, which could bring more big names and greater influence to Unrivaled.
After a very successful first season, Unrivaled looks forward to the future and the opportunity to capitalize on the attention the league has drawn thus far. Going into Season 2, Unrivaled will continue to prioritize the fan experience and grow the popularity of women’s sports.