With the WNBA going through some tough times, the rival leagues are gaining popularity thick and fast. And one of the biggest of them all is the Unrivaled. Debuting last season, the 3-on-3 league made ripples among the female basketball community.
And now, with its second season all set to begin on January 5, players are looking forward to having yet another stellar show. Thankfully, owing to the unprecedented success in its debut edition, this year, the tournament has expanded with 48 players in its roster.
Moreover, the league will also host games out-of-the-state, which indicates a massive growth for the future.
Unrivaled Flourishes As WNBA Looks In Despair
Napheesa Collier might have to opt out of the season due to her ankle injury. But the Unrivaled season is filled with talent this year. As the likes of Paige Bueckers take the field, things are looking extremely upbeat for the 3-on-3 tournament.
Speaking about the league, President Alex Bazzell stated, “initially thought it would expand after a third season.” However, the league was “so far ahead of schedule,” that the second season itself is witnessing a boom.
Unrivaled all set to starthttps://t.co/R2VxZT0nMl
— Debmallya Chakraborty (@DebmallyaC93340) January 6, 2026
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Last year, the league had all of its games played outside of Miami, in a converted TV studio. But this will be the first time that the league will take things out of Florida.
On January 30, the likes of Lunar Owls, Rose, Breeze, and Phantom will battle it out at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, as the Unrivaled is looking extremely upbeat, the WNBA, on a contrasting note, is pretty much a gloomy affair.
WNBA Struggles With CBA Negotiations As Unrivaled Makes Merry
The CBA tension has been going on for months now. While the initial deadline was October 31, the WNBA pushed it back twice. And now, with January 9 approaching, it looks like the deadline is all set to expire for the third time. At the moment, the WNBA and WNBPA are far apart to be on level terms.
At the moment, with things looking gloomy, the players, too, have been voicing out their frustrations. Recently, Courtney Williams lashed out at the authorities, saying, “The league wants to pay themselves first, before they pay us. And whatever is left, they want us to split that with them, which leaves less than 15 percent for the players.”
Thus, with two leagues witnessing contrasting fates, fans cannot wait to see what’s next.