Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner is the newest player to sign on for the Unrivaled basketball league.
Unrivaled is a three-on-three league co-founded by the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. It will run during the WNBA’s offseason, with the inaugural campaign tipping off in January.
Griner is coming off another impressive season in the WNBA. She averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
The nine-time All-Star is the 24th player to sign with Unrivaled, with six more spots to be announced. The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith and Las Vegas Aces’ Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young are among the others who have joined the venture.
One aim behind Unrivaled is that players are afforded another avenue to continue competing on the court without having to go overseas.
Players have long maintained a grueling year-round schedule because the salaries on offer outside of the United States far outstrip their WNBA equivalents.
The pendulum is shifting a bit thanks to Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, which launched in 2022. Salaries in the WNBA are also set to explode thanks to a new media rights deal that will bring in $200 million annually.
Unrivaled’s arrival comes as women’s basketball writ large is riding the crest of the wave, one evidenced by the WNBA’s massive TV deal. Stewart and Collier are also betting there’s an untapped market for fans who want to see the three-on-three format, which has gained more exposure through its inclusion in the Summer Olympics.
Whether it succeeds or fails, the league isn’t lacking for star power.
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