By Kathryn Tanaka
On January 17, WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart launched Unrivaled, a women’s 3-on-3 basketball league. By launching Unrivaled, Collier and Stewart hope to allow WNBA players to stay in the US during the offseason when many athletes would travel to China or Europe to play. Before its first game, social media teams artfully fed their followers clips of the players, keeping the fans engaged. While many are used to the duos in the WNBA, the off-season league allows for chemistry to flow between athletes that don’t usually get to interact. Leading up to the first matchup, teams were shown working together diligently during practice and hanging out in their free time.
The inaugural game saw the Lunar Owls and the Mist face off. The Owls, led by Collier, are stacked with star players like Skylar Diggins-Smith and Allisha Gray, while the Mist has veterans like Jewell Lloyd and Breanna Stewart. However, the Owls initially trailed entering the fourth quarter. Despite the setback, the Lunar Owls pushed ahead, with Diggins-Smith hitting three to end the game.
Due to the 3×3 format, players have more space to run plays but also less time to score with an 18-second shot clock. Rather than running set plays, Unrivaled’s play is characterized by its similarity to a game of pick-up. Unlike FIBA 3×3 where the game is run on half of a court, Unrivaled uses a condensed full-court, making it more similar to a regular basketball game. In addition, the athletes play to achieve a final score, ensuring the matchup ends on a shot.
As the league continues, I am excited to see how each team develops its rhythm and chemistry between players. Unrivaled has set the bar high for how it treats the players, and many fans hope it will lead the way for changes in the WNBA.