Unrivaled — the new professional 3-on-3 basketball league launched by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart last year — is entering Year 2, and the league has been slowly unveiling which WNBA players will participate.
Unrivaled reveals 11 new WNBA players joining next season
Paige Bueckkers, Kelsey Mitchell, and Veronica Burton headline the new
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn 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.
In total, the league will include eight clubs of six players each this season, meaning that 12 more players will have the opportunity to play in the Miami-based league. Additionally, Unrivaled will include a development pool of players who will temporarily sign with clubs that are hampered by injuries.
So far, 36 of the 48 participating players have been announced on social media by Unrivaled, and 11 of them are brand-new faces who will lace up in the 3-on-3 league for the first time.
These players are:
- Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
- Saniya Rivers, Connecticut Sun
- Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm
- Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
- Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries
- Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics
- Monique Billings, Golden State Valkyries
- Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
- Sug Sutton, Washington Mystics
- Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm
- Rachel Banham, Chicago Sky
From this list, four players are fresh off their rookie seasons in the WNBA (Bueckers, Rivers, Iriafen, and Citron). But, several others are WNBA veterans, such as Erica Wheeler, who is fresh off a bounce-back season in the WNBA, and Kelsey Mitchell, who was a finalist for MVP. Burton, who was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player this past season, is another high-profile addition, as is Magbegor, one of the best defenders in the WNBA.
The list of the new additions signals that most of the WNBA’s top players will participate in Unrivaled. Some notable omissions include four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, last year’s Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, and four-time All-Star Kelsey Plum. But 12 more names have yet to be announced, so some of these WNBA stars may participate in Year 2.
25 players are returning from the inaugural season
In addition, the league has already shared that 25 players from Year 1 will be back for Year 2:
- Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury (played inaugural season for the Laces)
- Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks (played inaugural season for the Mist)
- Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury (played inaugural season for the Phantom)
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (played inaugural season for the Mist)
- Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever (played inaugural season for the Rose)
- Azurá Stevens, Los Angeles Sparks (played inaugural season for the Rose)
- Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (played inaugural season for the Laces)
- Kate Martin, Golden State Valkyries (played inaugural season for the Laces)
- Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks (played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
- Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty (played inaugural season for the Phantom)
- Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun (played inaugural season for the Mist)
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
- Rae Burrell, Los Angeles Sparks (played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
- Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces (played inaugural season for the Rose)
- Brittney Sykes, Seattle Storm (played inaugural season for the Rose)
- Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream (previously played in Unrivaled as a relief player, officially rostered player this season)
- Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (played inaugural season for the Rose)
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream (played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
- Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics (played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
- Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx (played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
- Natisha Hiedeman, Minnesota Lynx (previously played in Unrivaled as a relief player, officially rostered player this season)
- Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm (played inaugural season for the Lunar Owls)
- Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream (played inaugural season for the Phantom)
- Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (played inaugural season for the Vinyl)
Unrivaled will continue to reveal the names of participating players in the coming days.
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