The WNBA offseason has seen the emergence of Unrivaled, a groundbreaking 3v3 league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The league is slated to begin play in January 2025 with 36 players. Only two spots are left, after two players from the Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks have joined the project.
Dream’s guard Jordin Canada was the 34th player to be announced. She averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals this past season, and is one of the best guard defenders in the league. She joins her teammates Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Rae Burrell has also signed with Unrivaled. The Los Angeles Sparks guard averaged 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game this past season. She joined the franchise after being drafted out of Tennessee with the No. 9 pick in 2022.
Burell is the fourth Sparks player to sign with Unrivaled, joining Azura Stevens, Dearica Hamby, and Rickea Jackson. Other WNBA talents that have joined the inaugural season of Unrivaled include Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, and Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston, among many others.
Rae Burrell of Los Angeles Sparks (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Stewart and Collier co-founded the league with the idea of focusing on player development. Apart from lucrative salaries, the players will have the opportunity to stay home during the WNBA offseason instead of playing overseas.
How Unrivaled will work
Unrivaled will consist of 36 players divided into six teams, competing in a 3v3 format. During the first six weeks, they will play a round-robin format before the top four advance to a two-week postseason. A season-long 1v1 tournament will also take place during the season.
On November 20th, the teams will be announced. Collier explained on X that a selection committee will allocate players based on skill and position. The first season will officially start on January 17, 2025 and it will be held in Miami, Florida.
