Preview: Unrivaled
The exciting new player-owned basketball league starts Saturday.
The new revolution in women’s sport tips off today, when the Unrivaled basketball league gets underway in Miami, Florida.
36 of the WNBA’s biggest stars will feature on six teams, competing across a 14 round competition through until March. So what makes this league different to the WNBA, WNBL and all the other major leagues across the world?
Ownership and Salary
The league was the idea of US Olympic team stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The inaugural 36 players are all entitled to equity, meaning rather than just players, they will also be ambassadors and promoters, as the more advertising, ratings and growth the league experiences, the more money the players make.
As it stands, they players will each receive around $222,222 USD as a starting point for the three months - around the same as a base salary in the WNBA for a season, which is around twice as long.
The league’s high profile investor group, which includes Coco Gauff, Alex Morgan, Michael Phelps, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dawn Staley, and a number of high profile businesspeople, shows that this new league is something that people want to be part of. Unrivaled is already oversubscribed in investors, eclipsing $35mill USD in capital.
The Players
A who’s who of the WNBA is involved. While reigning MVP A’ja Wilson and Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark opted not to take part this year, there are plenty of huge names.
Here’s how each team will line up:
LUNAR OWLS
Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (injured)
PHANTOM BC
Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson
VINYL BC
Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale
MIST BC
DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Lloyd, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot
LACES BC
Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young
ROSE BC
Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes
The Game
Unrivaled is a new version of basketball.
While it will be three players per side, it’s not 3X3 such as the Gangurrus played in Paris.
Games are played on a full court, albeit with slightly smaller dimensions than a regular court.
Four quarters are played. 1st-3rd quarters are seven minutes long, however the clock only stops in the last 30 seconds of each quarter. The fourth quarter is not determined by a length, but by a target score. This target is 11 points more than the leading team’s score at three quarter time. For example, if the score is 50-47 at three quarter time, the winner will be the first team to reach 61.
Free throws will be one shot, but the value of the shot will equal where the shot was attempted - two points for a regular field goal, three points if the foul was committed on a three point shot.
Players receive six personal fouls, but if the team only has three players available, a ‘fouled-out’ player can continue to player, but each time they foul from then on will be a technical foul.
The shot clock is 18 seconds.
The good news for non-US fans is that games will be streamed on the Unrivaled YouTube channel, with the first game to be played 11am AEDT on Saturday 18th January.