Unrivaled is coming back for a second season in January, and fans who attended games last year might notice a huge difference — or, actually, two of them.
On Wednesday, September 10, the professional 3x3 league announced the addition of two new teams: the Breeze BC and the Hive BC. League expansion will allow up to 12 more players to join Unrivaled, a huge boost that may become especially impactful should the WNBA and WNBPA fail to come to sign a new CBA this year.
Unrivaled also announced the addition of a player development pool, where 6 additional players will train all season and be on-call should a club need a replacement due to injury or illness.
The moves come a year earlier than Unrivaled’s team initially planned, said President of Basketball Luke Cooper. “Expanding a year earlier than planned is a testament to the strong business model we’ve built and the potential Unrivaled has for long-term success,” Cooper explained. “We outperformed every goal we set for the league in year one, and with the incredible talent we have returning paired with the influx of new stars, it was a no brainer to add two more clubs this season.”
Unrivaled’s news could be a band-aid for the CBA
The announcement is a big one for fans, but perhaps even bigger for one for the 18 athletes who will end up joining the rest of the clubs in Miami. WNBA players and the league have not appeared any closer to signing a new CBA ahead of the October 31 deadline this year, which means the entire 2026 season is at risk.
Playing in Unrivaled allows many athletes to make more money in a short burst of 9 weeks than they do throughout the entire WNBA season. (Last year’s Unrivaled salaries averaged $222,222, and players also split a 15% equity pool. On top of that, they had access to childcare, luxury apartments, and personalized chefs, in addition to top-tier training and support.)
Upping the roster size by 12 (plus an additional six players who will be training) means that many more pro athletes have the opportunity to stay in the States instead of traveling overseas — and potentially will be able to float by financially if the 2026 WNBA season is delayed.
The development pool will solve another Unrivaled issue, too
Adding the development pool to the mix is an especially smart move for the league. As fans and athletes learned last year, injuries are inevitable — and having six players ready to go at a moment’s notice for any team will help keep the games moving.
It should also mitigate what one WNBA GM pointed to as a major issue with the new league: the injuries “could hurt” what’s considered the players’ main job in the WNBA. Hopefully, having more available players will improve the experience for everyone involved.