“Everyone Watches Women’s Sports.” Sure. As a female athlete, I’ve always paid attention to the sports I played, but I never really expanded beyond volleyball, swimming or Ultimate Frisbee. Last summer, two of my friends (seemingly randomly) grew very interested in women’s basketball. As a Washingtonian, I should have at least known the name Sue Bird (“the soccer player?” I remember asking). However, after moaning and groaning through a triple-header game day, a Seattle Storm women’s basketball game had me absolutely hooked.
WNBA content filled my TikTok For You Page, showing me wins, losses and player crashouts. I became a fan of the Seattle Storm, even going to a game while I was at home. I watched them take a playoff game against the ultimate champions, the Las Vegas Aces, and almost hollered with joy in the quiet section of the library at their victory.
But then, too soon for my liking, the season came to an end. I returned to watching volleyball – the University of Nebraska absolutely dominated this season, until a heartbreaking end in the Elite 8 of the NCAA DI Championships. Shortly after Nebraska’s Dec. 14 loss, teal and purple graphics filled my feed, indicating the start of something new, as Unrivaled Basketball began its second season, allowing me to continue following elite women’s sports.
Unrivaled Basketball was formed in 2023, with its inaugural season beginning in early 2025, by Naphessa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Key funding for the league comes from fellow female athletes such as Coco Gauff, Serena Williams and Alex Morgan. Unrivaled is a 3v3 professional basketball league, featuring players from all WNBA teams, with a modified court and a slightly different rulebook. The league began its second season Jan. 5, after a series of hints on Instagram, which ultimately led to player announcements.
Unrivaled creates a unique competition in which the so-called power of friendship prevails amid the highest level of athleticism. There are club nights, where the league selects one of the eight teams to wear different jerseys and celebrate that team all night. The elite athletes laugh with one another on the court and are open to showing emotion as they fight for wins.
I believe that leagues such as Unrivaled will increase viewership amongst women’s sports. Although young standouts such as Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese have increased WNBA viewership over the past two years, Unrivaled creates a more digestible option for viewers. While both leagues offer great competition, Unrivaled promotes the athletes as people, rather than machines. Seeing elite women athletes in an athletic-centered league creates a unique environment for fans. We get a taste of who they are as individuals as they wander the halls of the facilities, creating a new perspective on professional sports.
Concurrently, the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expired in October 2024, and negotiations are still ongoing. As of 2024, the average salary was $120,000, with a minimum of $67,000, according to AP News. As a result, most players find themselves playing overseas to compensate for the low pay of the WNBA. Players such as Collier and Stewart have reported how difficult it is for these athletes to leave the US and live abroad for months at a time. At times, player frustration with WNBA administration — or at least the referees — shows in their play. On social media, audiences are hungry for an ounce of anger shown, and any frustration is amplified by viewers, casting a negative light on the league.
While these negotiations continue, Unrivaled offers players an outlet to play the sport they love. According to a CBS News article, the average player salary in Unrivaled’s inaugural season was over $200,000. High-caliber college players such as Sarah Strong are part of a program dubbed “The Future is Unrivaled,” which essentially guarantees them a spot on an Unrivaled roster, providing a sense of job security. Players in this pool have on-screen chemistry, building relationships outside collegiate athletic rivalries that create fun, friendly competition and add entertainment for fans.
Miami, FL, is set as Unrivaled’s permanent home base, creating a literal home for players. WNBA players live where they play, which, at times, means league-wide player trades. In the Miami headquarters, players get to know their rivals, play on a team with someone they constantly guard and meet the children of fellow athletes. Seeing these relationships develop while following players on social media is exciting and makes watching them play one another feel completely different.
The players’ on-screen and online personas reflect these stark differences in how the leagues run. Fans get a lot more online content from Unrivaled, and as a result, the players become more relatable. To me, this league is more fun, more carefree, and I cannot wait to see it soar.
Contact Abigail Montopoli at montopoli@oxy.edu
