Sabrina Ionescu wasn’t initially slated to play in Unrivaled. But, on Monday, the new 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league announced that the three-time All-Star — and one of the most well-known names in the WNBA — would be the final player participating.
Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
She’ll join the Phantom, where she’ll play alongside Satou Sabally, Marina Mabrey, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud (Mercury), and Katie Lou Samuelson (Fever). Unrivaled — co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — tips off on January 17th in Miami.
Sabrina Ionescu immediately becomes one of Unrivaled’s top stars
Ionescu, fresh off of a season that included a WNBA championship with the New York Liberty and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA, is the Division I career leader in triple-doubles and holds the record for most three-pointers in a WNBA season. She also has one of the most popular basketball sneakers, the Sabrina’s.
In early December, Ionescu underwent a procedure on her right thumb to stabilize the ulnar collateral ligament, per the Associated Press. On December 8, ESPN reported Ionesu was slated to return to the court in four weeks, which would mean she’d expected to be available to return to on-court activities a few weeks before Unrivaled’s tip-off.
Unrivaled was initially planning on having six teams with five players each. But, the league surpassed initial financial projections, and in turn, added six additional spots, one per team. The league announced a media partnership with TNT Sports, and a total salary pool of $8 million for the 36 players.
“I think it just shows the level of excitement and how much women’s sports is on the rise —that we were able to expand in year one, that we’re having these amazing partnerships,” Napheesa Collier told SB Nation last month.
Unrivaled games will be played three times per week — on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays — for 9 weeks.
“This is going to be a very competitive atmosphere. This isn’t an all-star game where you roll the ball out and it’s kind of a gimmick,” Alex Bazzell, the league’s president, told SB Nation. “It’s high-level competition.”
The league also has a major focus on player development, with all six Unrivaled coaches having a strong background in individual skills work.
“When players leave, [we want them to feel] this was the best off-season they’ve ever had,” Bazzell said.
The full list of Unrivaled clubs and players:
Laces Club: Jackie Young (Aces), Tiffany Hayes (Aces), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Alyssa Thomas (Sun), Kate Martin (Valkyries), and Stefanie Dolson (Mystics).
Phantom Club: Satou Sabally (Wings), Marina Mabrey (Sun), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Natasha Cloud (Mercury), Katie Lou Samuelson (Fever), and Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty)
Vinyl Club: Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Rhyne Howard (Dream), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Jordin Canada (Dream), Rae Burrell (Sparks), and Dearica Hamby (Sparks)
Mist Club: Jewell Loyd (Storm), DiJonai Carrington (Sun), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Courtney Vandersloot (Liberty), Rickea Jackson (Sparks), and Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics)
Rose Club: Chelsea Gray (Aces), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Angel Reese (Sky), Brittney Sykes (Mystics), Lexie Hull (Fever), and Azura Stevens (Sparks)
Lunar Owls Club: Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Storm), Allisha Gray (Dream), Shakira Austin (Mystics), and Cameron Brink (Sparks, will only play beginning 2026).
