The new professional three-on-three Unrivaled League is only a couple of weeks old, but it has already shaken up the WNBA. It started in mid-January, shortly before WNBA free agency began.
Fans have already seen Jewell Loyd, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, and Courtney Vandersloot join new WNBA teams via trade or free agency. Kelsey Plum headlined the Sparks-Aces-Storm trade with Loyd but opted not to play for Unrivaled after initially committing to the league.
Teams have traveled to Miami to meet with free agents, such as Griner. The long-time Mercury star entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. On Tuesday, she announced on social media that she was signing with the Dream in the most unexpected move of the offseason thus far. Griner posted a video of her on a boat with new Atlanta teammates Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Jordin Canada.
On the fishing trip 🥹 @brittneygriner pic.twitter.com/58wwglG2WC
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 29, 2025
Griner said free agency was "everything she wanted it to be." She decided to sign with Atlanta because of the team and players. Griner isn't on the same Unrivaled team as her new Dream teammates, but being with them in Florida was a bonus throughout the free agency process.
Unrivaled has added welcome chaos to WNBA offseason
Unrivaled allows players to make new connections and reconnect with other WNBA players. It's far different from players being scattered around overseas during the offseason. Bringing top names together during the offseason is not only a game-changer for women's basketball but also affects the construction of the WNBA.
It allows players like Griner to be reassured about their free agency decisions. It also lets players like Natasha Cloud, who was included in the Thomas deal, process the trade with her former Mercury teammates and begin to connect with her new Sun teammates (she's on the same Unrivaled team as Marina Mabrey).
The offseason should be even more chaotic in 2026 when the new collective bargaining agreement is expected to raise salaries. Unrivaled will be in action again, adding excitement to an already thrilling offseason. There are a lot of big names on the 2026 free agency list.
Unrivaled is everything fans hoped it would be and more. The production and social media content has been fantastic. It's been a lot of fun to see the level of competition, and it's only the beginning. It's a bonus that it provides another layer to the WNBA offseason.