The first season of the Unrivaled league was deemed a success by players, fans, and league alike, but everyone involved knows there’s more work to be done. Adding stars like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson could be just the ticket.
The 3-on-3 league offers WNBA players a highly paid, domestic alternative to playing overseas, which many players opt to do during the WNBA offseason. Founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled played all its games in Miami and conducted a 10-week season with over 40 players participating. Not content to rest on its laurels, Unrivaled could look to add two of the most notable names in the game to take things to the next level.
Unrivaled Sees Adding Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson Key for Second Season
While the league had big names like Stewart, Collier, and Chelsea Gray in its first season, the plan is to continue to add some of the biggest stars in basketball. Clark, the Indiana Fever’s star point guard, and Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, are at the top of the list.
“Unrivaled sources told ESPN they will continue to push for additional big-name players such as Wilson and Clark, with whom they plan to have conversations in the coming months,” ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported in a piece on Unrivaled’s future plans.
“If Unrivaled is unable to land the likes of Clark and Wilson, insiders believe the league will still be successful. But a WNBA general manager told ESPN they feel Unrivaled needs to have around 18 to 20 of the top players in the WNBA signed to contracts, or the league will lose a lot of interest.”
The league has plenty of revisions in mind for its second season keyed by player and personnel feedback. A new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, incumbent after the 2025 season, may also change Unrivaled’s negotiating platform. But adding Clark and Wilson could add a level of awareness and solidity that could cement the league as a key player in women’s basketball.
Clark declined to participate in the league’s first season, opting to recuperate and train after a long senior year at Iowa that flowed immediately into a playoff-attaining WNBA campaign with the Fever. The league reportedly offered her an offer in the realm of $1 million to participate, along with equity and revenue sharing, according to Front Office Sports.
Wilson also opted for a less involved offseason after winning her third MVP award in 2024. She became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a season last year and won back-to-back titles with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022-23.
“I like to enjoy my offseason,” Wilson explained to TIME in an offseason interview. “That’s my time to really just decompress. Unrivaled seems great—my teammates are loving it. Obviously, the money in it is amazing. And it’s like, Dang, missing out. But wholeheartedly, not even trying to front, I just didn’t want to. I just want to protect my peace. Because once the season gets in, no one’s gonna think, Oh, you just got done playing Unrivaled, let’s take it easy.”
The success of Unrivaled may change Clark and Wilson’s minds. According to Andrews, the league averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT and truTV and is projected to turn a profit in its second season. Adding Clark and Wilson could cement that, as well as the inclusion of 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, who has already signed a three-year deal with the league. With all three stars in the fold, Unrivaled could live up to its name as the nonpareil option for American players during the WNBA offseason.