The inaugural season of the Unrivaled League is in full swing, featuring some of the best WNBA players in a unique 3-on-3 experience. Minnesota Lynx star and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier recently sat down with Taylor Rooks to discuss the launch of the highly anticipated endeavor.

Rooks asked which four-time All-Star she remembered most when the idea for Unrivaled first came up. Collier immediately thought of Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray, who Collier noted was one of the first. In fact, the 28-year-old credits Gray with being the first to join Unrivaled.

Collier went into detail about how she and Breanna Stewart prioritized getting buy-in from other players, emphasizing the importance of having the best players competing in their league. It wasn’t an easy task, as the two WNBA stars had to pitch their peers an idea that had never been done before.

However, Collier explained that selling ownership to other players and the ability to own a stake in a league they were playing in was a big step.

WNBA players don’t play basketball for eight-figure salaries a season like NBA players, so the potential for additional income was a topic that Collier was interested in. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year explained that Unrivaled would allow her and her peers to have more of an impact on the game while also increasing their income.

“Like how we thought this could be revolutionary, selling that dream to them, I remember doing it in the early days was both scary and exciting,” Collier said. “Just trying to get them to buy in, it’s crazy to think about.”

Collier and Stewart Prioritize Player Experience with Unrivaled
While the Unrivaled League is a way for WNBA players to play domestically and bypass the complexities of the WNBA’s preference rule for players who choose to play overseas during the WNBA season, Collier and Stewart have even bigger plans for the project.

Collier revealed that she initially had to convince players of the fairness and creativity of Unrivaled before she could talk about others who have joined.

“Yeah, because when you go after the first guys, you can’t say, ‘These guys have done it, so we’ve got some guys in.’ Again, you have to convince them of this dream,” Collier continued.

The Lynx forward emphasized in her introduction that the league could take off if enough players signed up. Collier explains how she was able to use the names of the stars who had already joined to convince others who were hesitant. Unrivaled now boasts 36 players across 12 teams, setting the stage for a successful inaugural season.