Sat Jan 18 23:30:00 UTC 2025: **New Women’s 3-on-3 Basketball League, Unrivaled, Tips Off with Record-Breaking Salaries**

NEW YORK – Unrivaled, a groundbreaking new 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, launched Friday night. The league aims to provide supplemental income and brand-building opportunities for WNBA players during the offseason, eliminating the need for many to play overseas.

Featuring six teams of six players each, Unrivaled boasts a roster of 36 WNBA stars, including Stewart, Collier, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, and Arike Ogunbowale. The league’s unique format includes shorter games (three seven-minute quarters plus an untimed fourth quarter played to a target score), a modified free-throw system, and an 18-second shot clock.

Unrivaled is making headlines for its unprecedented player compensation. With a salary pool exceeding $8 million, the league boasts the highest average salary in women’s professional sports history, with nearly all players earning over $100,000. Players also receive equity stakes in the league. Further incentivizing competition, a separate 1-on-1 tournament in February will award the winner $250,000, with each player on their Unrivaled team receiving an additional $10,000 bonus.

The inaugural season, airing on TNT and TruTV, runs until March 17th, with games primarily scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays. Former WNBA star Candace Parker will host a studio show accompanying the broadcasts. The league’s launch comes amidst a record-breaking season for the WNBA, which is set to begin its regular season on May 16th, following Unrivaled’s conclusion. The WNBA’s 2025 season will feature a record 44 games per team.

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