Many WNBA stars play overseas during the offseason to make extra money, but now New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier are starting a new league to give them an option to play domestically, per ESPN.
The official twitter account for the new league, Unrivaled, teased the announcement on Thursday.
"What if the best players in the world created their own league..." read the first post.
"They did," read the second tweet.
— Unrivaled (@Unrivaledwbb) July 6, 2023
They are aiming to start the new league once the WNBA's new prioritization rules go into full effect next season.
The rule this year required WNBA players to return from overseas by the start of the season on May 19. Failing to be back by that date would have resulted in becoming ineligible to play in 2023. Seattle Storm's Gabby Williams almost didn't get back by the deadline while she played in France because the French league playoffs end after the start of the WNBA season. However, she made it back to the United States earlier than she expected because of a concussion.
Williams told reporters on Wednesday that the prioritization rule was "ridiculous" because it was difficult to play in the WNBA and try to make extra money overseas.
In 2024, WNBA players will have to get back before training camp starts.
Unrivaled could give players a more convenient option. The season for the new league is expected to run from January through March. A typical WNBA season goes from May through September. Thirty players will make up six teams that play three-on-three and one-on-one at a soundstage in Miami.
"It's the ability for players to stay home, to be in a market like Miami where we can just be the buzz and create that with the best WNBA players," Stewart told ESPN. "We can't keep fighting [the WNBA's prioritization rule]. It is a rule that takes away our choices, which should never be a thing, especially as women, but it is still a rule."
Both Stewart and Collier have played overseas. Most recently Stewart played for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe last offseason. Collier spent 2021 playing for Lattes Montpellier in France.
Before her 10-month detainment in Russia, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was one of about 70 WNBA players competing internationally during the 2022 offseason. She is one of the most recognizable names in the league but still felt the need to supplement her income in Russia, as she reportedly earned $1 million per season with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Money will be a big part of whether or not Unrivaled succeeds. In order for the new league to work, Stewart and Collier have to raise enough in private funding and sponsorships to make it worth it for players who want to stop playing overseas.
"It's just trying to be proactive and create initiatives for what we can do in the WNBA offseason besides league marketing agreements and team marketing agreements. What can be player-led?" Stewart said.
