The 2026 WNBA season may not start until May, but Unrivaled is here to fill in the gap!
The 3x3 basketball league, founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, had its inaugural season last year and was so popular that it added teams and players for the follow-up season, which starts on January 5, 2026.
Not only will Unrivaled fill the WNBA-sized hole in your heart during the off-season, but youâre going to get to see all of your favorite queer players on new teams, with new teammates and rivals, and playing a whole new style of ball.
Itâs exciting, energizing, and will have you falling in love with womenâs sports all over again.
Adding two new teams
The inaugural season was so successful that the league has already added two new teams. For the second season, Unrivaled is going from six teams to eight with the addition of Breeze BC and Hive BC, which brings 12 new players into the league. Queer players Kate Martin and breakout star Paige Bueckers have both joined the Breeze, while the Hive boasts sapphic players Saniya Rivers and Natisha Hiedeman.
Paige Bueckers joining
Sapphic player Paige Bueckers had an amazing first season with the WNBA. She set the WNBA rookie single-game record with 44 points, became the first player to ever score more than 40 points on 80% shooting, made it to the All-Star game, and won Rookie of the Year. And now sheâs spending her rookie Unrivaled season playing for the Breeze, where weâre hoping sheâll break even more records. Plus, she's dating UConn star player Azzi Fudd, so we may get to see her on the sidelines cheering on her girlfriend, too.
Watching a more creative game
Saniya Rivers
Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
The 3x3 basketball league gives players more opportunity to play one-on-one and experiment with parts of the game that are ignored during the regular WNBA season. We canât wait to see players like Saniya Rivers dominate on the court and try out moves weâve never seen the Connecticut Sun rookie do before.
âIt allows you to be a lot more creative on the court,â Rivers said, per Sports Illustrated. âItâs more of a confidence and energy thing. Itâs a different game, a different energy.â
The Studbudz playing on rival teams
The Studbudz â made up of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman â became the stars and unofficial party coordinators for the WNBA All-Star weekend, and now the two players are both going to be playing for Unrivaled. Weâre used to seeing these two players united on the Minnesota Lynx, but next year weâll get to see them battle it out on rival teams, with Williams joining the Vinyl and Hiedeman playing for the Hive.
Supporting the league
This basketball variation isnât just fun to watch, with its innovative and fast-paced structure, but it's also redefining how female athletes are compensated. Founded by WNBA stars and outspoken player advocates Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled players make more than most WNBA players with a salary of around $222,222, as well as equity in the league â something the WNBA players union is currently fighting to get â and a financial stake in its performance and development.
We always want to support womenâs sports, but especially when a league knows how to take care of its most valuable asset: the players.
