As the league and the WNBPA took time to settle the CBA discussions, fans blamed Napheesa Collier’s intentions, and a conflict of interest began circulating. The player is a co-owner of the Unrivalled league, which is essentially an indirect rival to the WNBA (due to the lucrative compensation it offers). The Lynx star opposed the idea and continued her work towards bettering both leagues.
Recently, the Unrivaled commissioner came ahead and cleared the air about the difference between his league and the WNBA in an interview.
No Rivalry Between Unrivaled And WNBA
The WNBA saw massive success in recent years, with record attendance and major deals. The Unrivaled used this fame and players in its inaugural season and continued the model. Interestingly, the 3-on-3 league is offering huge bonuses and providing a better environment for players, as players openly discussed on multiple occasions comparing the two leagues.
This led to rumors about a possible rift between the WNBA and Unrivalled. But the Commissioner, Alex Bazzell, thrashes such claims. On the ‘We Need To Talk’ podcast, he said, “We want the WNBA CBA to get done. The WNBA running and operating, continuously growing, is great marketing exposure for our league because a lot of the top players that play there, play with us.”
He makes a valid point: their league and WNBA schedules do not overlap, allowing players to play in both. But if WNBA rumbles and Project B gets top players from the league, it will be an issue for the Unrivaled to match the schedules.
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The Unrivaled is currently changing the dynamics of women’s basketball, and they also need the WNBA (initially) to sustain that growth. Alex Bazzell even has a different plan for the WNBA.
Unrivaled Open to Partnership With WNBA
The aim of the league was always to provide players with a platform to practice and play competitive games in the USA, using the best facilities. In season 2, the league is also looking after the same. With CBA discussions hitting multiple roadblocks, Alex Bazzell came up with a solution.
“We’re not in constant dialogue about that … but as I’ve made very clear, we are open to growing the ecosystem, whichever way that looks like. Nothing is on the table or off the table. … I’m not going to speculate what could happen down the road, but everyone knows our door is always open,” the Unrivaled President said.
Unrivaled co-founder Alex Bazzell on whether there's a "conflict of interest" that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart are on the WNBPA board:
— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) July 17, 2025
"We've never once looked at this as a competitive tool towards the WNBA. … I'm hopeful that they come to a CBA agreement." pic.twitter.com/iU5NOGjkn7
Though the partnership looks like a bold step, it’s not a bad idea to join hands and help each other grow the business. WNBA doesn’t have a G League like the NBA does, and could develop its own model to keep top players interested in the league.