New York Liberty’s, Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx’s, Napheesa Collier, are launching a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league called “Unrivaled.” The league allows for WNBA players to have an alternative option to playing overseas in the offseason. From January through March, Unrivaled would put six teams in Miami for 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 games.
“It’s the ability for players to stay home, to be in a market like Miami where we can just be the buzz and create that with the best WNBA players. We can’t keep fighting the WNBA’s prioritization rule. It is a rule that takes away our choices, which should never be a thing, especially as women, but it’s still a rule” – Breanna Stewart
But wait, what is the prioritization rule? It was a rule that was approved by WNBA team owners and the players’ union, signed in 2020, that forces players to report to their respective teams by the start of training camp to be eligible for the upcoming season.
The rule affected the players’ ability to play overseas, where they could make a significant amount of money. “With the prioritization rule, you’re cutting off one of my sources of income and not substituting it,” continued Stewart.
Taking this rule into account, while still creating a way for WNBA players to earn money in the offseason, this new league would fulfill both the obligatory and financial needs. Given what happened to Britney Griner, when she opted to play overseas, Unrivaled, becomes not only another source of income for (underpaid) players but also a safe haven.
