The WNBA offseason doesn’t have to feel quiet.
On Monday, January 5, Unrivaled tips off its second season, and if you’re a WNBA fan who misses having pro basketball to watch during the winter months, this league was built with you in mind.
Unrivaled isn’t meant to replace the WNBA. Instead, it extends the women’s basketball calendar in the U.S. with fast-paced games and a format that puts individual skill front and center in a way we don’t always get to see during the summer grind.
Here’s why Unrivaled is worth your attention, and what you should know heading into opening week.
The Idea Behind Unrivaled
Unrivaled is a professional women’s 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
At its core, the league was designed to solve a familiar problem: how to keep top-level women’s basketball in the U.S. during the WNBA offseason without forcing players overseas.
Stewie and Phee’s answer was a compact winter league built around player development and community. A place where players could get better and connect with each other and with fans in an intimate setting.
Season 1 reached over 11.9 million viewers and proved the concept worked. Season 2 is about expanding it.
Why Unrivaled Will Click If You’re a WNBA Fan
If you already love the WNBA, Unrivaled will feel familiar, but faster.
You’ll recognize the players. The competitiveness is still there. But one thing you’ll notice right away is how much space the game creates.
The WNBA is a long, physical, systems-driven season. Unrivaled, by design, gives players more freedom and prioritizes creativity. Games feel intense from the opening possession, not something that builds slowly over four quarters.
With just six players battling it out on a shortened full-court in Unrivaled, possessions move fast. Defensive mistakes are punished instantly. One-on-one matchups matter more. There’s nowhere to hide, and that’s part of the appeal.
Another key difference is the coaching approach. Players are led by coaches most known for player development rather than overall team management.
For the players, that means the offseason becomes a space to experiment and sharpen specific skills. For us as fans, it means getting to watch our favorites compete in a faster, looser format that shows off parts of their games we don’t always see during the WNBA season.
What’s New for Season 2
Season 2 brings some meaningful additions.
The biggest update is expansion. Unrivaled is growing from six clubs to eight, with Breeze BC and Hive BC joining the league. That growth created 12 new roster spots.
Alongside expansion, Unrivaled also introduced a development pool. This group of six players — Hailey Van Lith, Aziaha James, Haley Jones, Emily Engstler, Laeticia Amihere, and Makayla Timpson — trains with the league and stays ready to step into active rosters if injuries or absences come up.
There’s also a new free throw contest this season, which adds a fun layer. The Unrivaled player who finishes the first five games with the best free throw percentage gets a $50,000 bonus. The fan who correctly predicts the winner gets two courtside tickets and travel money to attend the league’s Philly tour stop.
Season 2 also brings an exciting mix of familiar faces and new names. Returners like Jackie Young, Allisha Gray, and Kahleah Copper are back, but this year also introduces some highly anticipated young talent, including Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, and Sonia Citron.
Full Unrivaled Season 2 Rosters
Breeze | Hive | Laces | Lunar Owls | Mist | Phantom | Rose | Vinyl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cameron Brink | Monique Billings | Jordin Canada | Rebecca Allen | Veronica Burton | Aliyah Boston | Shakira Austin | Rae Burrell |
Paige Bueckers | Sonia Citron | Naz Hillmon | Rachel Banham | Allisha Gray | Natasha Cloud | Kahleah Copper | Brittney Griner |
Rickea Jackson | Natisha Hiedeman | Maddy Siegrist | Skylar Diggins | Arike Ogunbowale | Dana Evans | Chelea Gray | Dearica Hamby |
Kate Martin | Ezi Magbegor | Brittney Sykes | Aaliyah Edwards | Alanna Smith | Tiffany Hayes | Lexie Hull | Rhyne Howard |
Aari McDonald | Kelsey Mitchell | Alyssa Thomas | Temi Fagbenle* | Breanna Stewart | Kiki Iriafen | Azura Stevens | Erica Wheeler |
Dominique Malonga | Saniya Rivers | Jackie Young | Marina Mabrey | Li Yueru | Kelsey Plum | Sug Sutton | Courtney Williams |
Satou Sabally |
*replacing Napheesa Collier, out with injury
How to Watch and Follow Along
Unrivaled is easy to access and easy to follow, even if this is your first time tuning in.
Games air on TNT and truTV, with streaming available on HBO Max.
The season runs from January 5 through March 4, with games primarily played on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The 1-on-1 tournament tips off on February 11, and the playoffs begin March 2, leading into the championship shortly after.
You can find the full official schedule on the Unrivaled website.
Our Recommendation: Get Into Unrivaled
If you’re a WNBA fan looking to keep up with your favorite players this winter, Unrivaled is absolutely worth your time.
You’ll enjoy watching individual players get challenged in new ways and seeing how their games evolve. It almost feels like getting an inside look at their offseason workouts, the kind of development we don’t usually get to see.
You don’t need to know every rule to enjoy it. If you like watching great players compete, you’ll feel at home quickly.
It’s fast. It’s fun. And it keeps women’s pro basketball front and center during a time of year when we usually have to wait.
That alone makes Unrivaled worth checking out.
If you want Unrivaled updates throughout the season, we cover the biggest developments in our short daily newsletter 30 Second Timeout.👇
