While the WNBA is struggling at the moment, a surprising savior has emerged for the female basketball realm. As the likes of Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier introduced Unrivaled, they are now thriving in its glory. The 3-on-3 had been an immediate hit in its very first year. And now, as Unrivaled is just in its second season, things are looking pretty much rosy for the league.
However, it is not a miracle recipe that Unrivaled followed; rather, each of their measures was carefully measured. Back in 2025, the tournament raised a whopping $35 million in funding.
And its partners? Well, it included big names like Stephen Curry, Steve Nash, Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan. And soon, the tournament started to bear rich fruit.
Unrivaled Has Already Broken Some Significant Grounds
In its very first year, Unrivaled brought in a whopping $27 million in revenue. Given the amount they raised from initial investments, the league almost broke even in its first year. And this stat is very unlikely for a modern-day sports league.
To further aid the league with more money, additional investments totaling $340 million led by Bessemer Venture Partners. But they were not alone. The league’s unprecedented success in its debut year drew more big names. Serena Ventures, with Warner Bros. Discovery, Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures, Next Legacy Partners, Trae Young, Franz and Moritz Wagner from the Orlando Magic, all came in to support the league.
The biggest upside of the league has been how it has treated its players. With so much funding coming in, the league leadership ensured the athletes were well paid. Back in 2025, the players’ salaries averaged $220,000. Interestingly, none of the players earned under six figures.
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DJ Sackmann on Unrivaled
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) February 7, 2026
"When you’re around high-level performers every single day, no matter the industry, it raises your level. The professionalism becomes contagious. You just gravitate toward the standard of the environment you’re in. Here in Unrivaled, everyone is under… pic.twitter.com/tXQfnBOIYL
Things improved further when the players received an undisclosed salary boost this year. According to reports, some players are earning more than $350,000! And that’s not all. To ramp things up further, the league, under the presidentship of Alex Bazzell, has introduced some interesting competitions.
One of them is the free-throw challenge. This year, it was Paige Bueckers who won the challenge, pocketing $50,000. Additionally, the 1v1 tournament is a point of attraction for both fans and athletes.
The total prize purse for this year’s 1v1 tournament is $300,000. While the winner will take home $200,000, the runners-up will receive a $50,000 prize. Speaking about the incredible success of Unrivaled, the league recently saw a record number of fans attend its Philadelphia event.
Unrivaled Breaks WNBA Attendance Numbers With Record Philadelphia Crowd
As the likes of Paige Bueckers and others have made the league incredibly competitive, their attempt to organize an event in Philadelphia turned out to be a masterstroke. At the event, the Xfinity Mobile Arena saw a massive crowd. With fans coming in large numbers, the official attendance recorded was a whopping 21,490.
21,490 fans attended Unrivaled in Philadelphia, breaking the record for the most-attended regular season pro women's basketball game ever. pic.twitter.com/jhI1RIWwJm
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 31, 2026
This was, in itself, a huge achievement for the league. As previously mentioned, none of the women’s professional basketball regular-season games have garnered more than 21000 people. Interestingly, the numbers also beat the WNBA’s highest fan attendance. Back on September 19, 2024, almost 20,711 fans turned up to see Caitlin Clark’s final game of the rookie season.
Additionally, the number of fans Unrivaled brought in this year marked the highest attendance at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Keeping in mind that the arena is home to teams like the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), this was a huge deal.
Alex Bazzell Speaks Highly Of Unrivaled’s Success
Speaking about how the league has ensured a smooth functioning till now, President Bazzell said, “We added another 12 full-time staff members this year. We concentrated on more athletic trainers, performance trainers for the athletes. Last year, that was shared between two teams, but now each team has their own individual athletic trainer and performance trainer, which, quite frankly, is better for the staff.”
He further added, “They’re not sharing duties and working crazy hours, but it’s also better for the players as all the resources go where they need. We added another assistant coach for each staff and a player development coach so that the players also have that touchpoint, which again was a shared resource last year.”
Unrivaled Makes History With Record-Breaking Women’s Basketball Night in Philadelphia https://t.co/1vvveQ6fMA
— The Source Magazine (@TheSource) February 8, 2026
To further make players more comfortable, the league has added an additional 15,000 sq ft of space for player training and conditioning. Moreover, a third practice space, along with an additional gym equipped with modern equipment and amenities, has been set up to provide players with a comfortable training experience. Thus, with things looking extremely promising, fans cannot wait to find out how long Unrivaled will continue with its success story.