Unrivaled’s second season had its share of turbulence, but when the final buzzer sounded at Sephora Arena on Wednesday night, one thing was clear: the league Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier built from scratch is becoming something the women’s basketball world cannot ignore.
For Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the Unrivaled Fan Base Is Expanding at an Exponential Rate
Context is important when evaluating Unrivaled’s sophomore campaign. The league expanded from six to eight teams, moved its start date earlier to accommodate a FIBA window — putting it in direct competition with NFL and college football postseason games — and lost its NBA lead-in on TNT after shifting to Amazon and NBC.
Television ratings fell about 40%, averaging just over 120,000 viewers across TNT and truTV. By surface-level metrics, that could be seen as a setback. But Stewart and Collier focused on a different set of numbers.
Unrivaled’s revenue grew from $27 million in its first season to $45 million in 2026. Merchandise sales more than doubled. Total player social media following rose 52% year over year. And on the road, the league achieved milestones that captured the attention of the entire sports world.
A January tour stop in Philadelphia drew 21,490 fans to Xfinity Mobile Arena, the largest crowd ever for a women’s professional basketball regular-season game. It even surpassed the arena’s all-time attendance record.
Then, with barely three weeks’ notice, Unrivaled moved its semifinals to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event sold out, drawing 18,261 fans for a star-studded doubleheader.
Collier expressed her pride. “It just shows the appetite for women’s basketball,” she said. “In both situations, we had over a year to plan out Philly, but Brooklyn was like two weeks’ notice. And still the fans showed out. It just shows you how much people want to watch this. The product is great, the players are amazing, and the appetite for it is growing at such an exponential rate. There’s room for growth and potential.”
“[Season 2’s success] just shows the appetite for women’s basketball.” – @PHEEsespieces 👏
With sold-out arenas in Philly & Brooklyn this season, the co-founder of @Unrivaledwbb expands on why the league is just scratching the surface 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/UXlRx3APdr
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 5, 2026
Stewart, who capped the season with 32 points in an 80-74 championship win over Phantom to claim Unrivaled’s top prize, was equally candid about the league’s trajectory. “You see the money, numbers, everything going up,” she said. “But also you see the level of play from year one to year two. You see people being aware of how to play the game, how to get your buckets.”
Wednesday’s championship confirmed that Unrivaled is evolving. The league added a developmental pool for young players, including the top four picks from the 2025 WNBA Draft: Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen. The Mist’s winning purse doubled to $600,000 compared to the inaugural season’s payout, signaling the league’s growing financial strength.
Earlier in the season, Stewart explained what makes Unrivaled’s model unique. “Having equity in a league that you’re playing in, knowing that literally we grow as the league grows; it makes players really want to be involved and invested from a year-round perspective,” she said. The league continues to offer players the highest average salary in women’s team sports at $222,222, alongside equity stakes.
Ultimately, the road results proved something television ratings could not capture. Unrivaled showed up, and fans showed up in return.
For Stewart, the championship carried added meaning. She won a title in something she co-founded with passion and commitment. “I pride myself on being a winner and continuing to uplift and build a space for all players,” she said after lifting the trophy. “Unrivaled has been a tremendous success from Year 1 to Year 2, but to be on top, crowned as the champions, it doesn’t feel any better.”
