Women’s basketball just scored another big win. Unrivaled, the brand-new 3-on-3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, has exploded in value, landing a $340 million valuation only seven months after its first season wrapped up.
Backed by investors like Bessemer Venture Partners, Serena Ventures, and Warner Bros. Discovery, the league isn’t waiting around. The money is already fueling big expansion plans in Miami and speeding up a roadmap that was supposed to take five years.
What Expansion Plans Will Unrivaled Roll Out After Its Massive Surge in Valuation?
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell confirmed the valuation was negotiated with Bessemer Venture Partners. Speaking to ESPN, Bazzell said the new funding will “expedite [Unrivaled’s] growth strategy” after the league nearly doubled revenue expectations in its debut season. He told ESPN the league’s growth plan just got a serious boost.
“Because we outperformed our revenue expectations in season one by almost doubling it, it allows us to move a bit quicker,” Bazzell explained. “It’s become a three-year roadmap [instead of five]. In year two, we are really going to double down on the athletes.”
#UNRIVALED HITS $340M VALUATION
In just its second year, Unrivaled has seen substantial growth. New investors — including Serena Williams’s Serena Ventures, Trae Young, Darryll J., and Sylvia Pines — have contributed to raising the league’s valuation to $340 million.
The… pic.twitter.com/NjA5DWemgU
— WomenInPlay (@wmninplay) September 8, 2025
That means Miami, the league’s home base, is about to get an upgrade. The arena will add 15,000 square feet for player facilities, a second practice court, and another 150 seats for fans. It’s a signal that Unrivaled isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
The league’s approach gives WNBA players a stateside offseason alternative to overseas play while delivering fast-paced action and substantial salaries. Unlike the WNBA’s 94-foot court and traditional four-quarter structure, Unrivaled uses a 70-foot floor, three seven-minute quarters, and a “winning score” format in the fourth, modeled on the Elam Ending.
This creates faster, tighter games with no shortage of highlight moments, which explains why the league exploded in popularity among viewers.
How Did Unrivaled’s First Season Perform With Fans and Viewers?
Unrivaled’s debut season tipped off Jan. 17, 2025, and exceeded every expectation. The league averaged 221,000 viewers across TNT and truTV, while the championship game between Rose and Vinyl pulled in 364,000. By the end of its eight-week season, Unrivaled had reached 11.9 million viewers and delivered the 10 most-watched women’s basketball games ever on TNT Sports’ networks.
The on-court talent was just as strong as the numbers. Alongside Stewart and Collier, stars like Angel Reese, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, and Jackie Young all suited up. Rose BC took home the first championship trophy, capping off a debut season that felt less like an experiment and more like a movement.
THE ROSE DID IT! Congratulations to the first ever Unrivaled Champions Rose BC pic.twitter.com/qtlLTZ3qcI
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) March 18, 2025
This kind of traction didn’t come out of nowhere. Before its first tip-off, Unrivaled raised $35 million from an all-star list of investors, including Stephen Curry, Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, and Coco Gauff. The new $340 million valuation is just the latest sign that investors, players, and fans see a future here.
Year two will feature the same six teams, all based in Miami, but with upgraded facilities and a stronger focus on player development. For WNBA players who have long relied on overseas contracts to supplement their income, Unrivaled is quickly becoming the domestic alternative they’ve been waiting for.
Stewart and Collier’s rapid growth suggests their vision is more than a short-term project. What started as an offseason experiment is now positioning itself as a sustainable platform for women’s basketball stars to compete and grow at home.
