UConn Huskies are still undefeated in the 2025-26 season, extending their record to 24-0 after a win over DePaul. Coach Geno Auriemma was, of course, happy with his players who were dominant on the court. But apart from his current players, the decorated coach was thrilled with his former players, Napheesa Colliers and Breanna Stewart, who made their name as co-owners of the Unrivaled league.
The league recently set a record for highest attendance at the Xfinity Mobile arena for any event, surpassing the WNBA numbers. When asked about his reaction, the coach got straight to the point with his answer.
Geno Auriemma Lauds Napheesa Collier For Unrivaled League Success
When Unrivaled was just a concept, Auriemma was an early investor in the league, showing faith in the project and vision. Now in just two seasons, the league reached a valuation of $340 million in September 2025, as its revenue doubled over that span.
When asked about his take on the success, Auriemma said, “Now, somebody asked me one time about the names of all the teams and all this other stuff, and I’m like, “No, I don’t know all that stuff.” Or, “You’re an investor. Shouldn’t you know that? No, I mean, I’m an investor in Apple, and I don’t know about how they make phones and all that stuff. So, I tell people that I invested in Stewie and Napheesa as people because I believe in them. And then I watch to see what it looks like, and it looks amazing.”
Both players won NCAA titles with Auriemma, Stewie rather handed him four consecutive titles, which is an NCAA record. It’s natural that he was happy to see his players thrive as entrepreneurs too, rather than just looking at the ‘commercial value’ of the project.
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Moreover, with the WNBA still struggling to lock the CBA for the upcoming seasons, the success of Unrivaled is certainly an encouraging sign for the women basketball players.
The Lynx forward is also happy with the success of her 3-on-3 league and took the opportunity to show the league ‘how businesses are run’.
Napheesa Collier Gives Unrivaled’s Example To Slam WNBA
When the WNBA responded with possible $700 million losses over the WNBPA’s demands, the players’ association slammed their ‘calculations’. With an opportunity to reflect on the same, the Unrivaled co-owner gave her league’s example to show the importance of ‘well-run business’.
“Being on this side with Unrivaled, I know what it takes to run a sustainable business. I think if they can’t find a model that makes it happen, they need to put people in place who can,” Collier said in the opening week of the Unrivalled league.
"Being on this side with Unrivaled, I know what it takes to run a sustainable business. I think if they can't find a model that makes it happen, they need to put people in place who can."
— Winsidr (@Winsidr) January 6, 2026
Napheesa Collier on the current CBA negotiations 👀 pic.twitter.com/DJz1xz6VNV
Interestingly, the league has completed three decades in business, while the Unrivaled is just into its second season and is running on the WNBA’s high-profile players. Still, one must applaud the Unrivaled league’s success, and that’s why both Collier and Stewart won the ‘Sports Illustrated innovators of the Year’ award.