Near the end of 2022, New York Liberty star Breana Stewart held a meeting at a steakhouse in New York City to hear the idea of changing the landscape of professional women's basketball.
Stewart was preparing to spend another part of a WNBA offseason overseas. Alex Butzel, husband of Minnesota Lynx star Nafisa Collier, saw his wife play multiple seasons overseas as well. He instead pitched Stewart to a business proposal to keep most of the US WNBA stars over the winter.
Beyond red wine, Stewart was immediately interested in other concepts, a professional women's 3×3 league that promises the highest salary in American women's team sports. She eventually agreed to co-found the league with Collier.
“It's weird to think about that meeting where we are,” Stewart said as an unparalleled approach at the end of the first 10 weeks of season.
Four of the league's six teams will play in the semi-finals on Sunday. The championship game is Monday. Stewart, whose mist basketball club has already been eliminated, said other similarities could improve the player's experience in all professional women's basketball.
The WNBA is out of record viewer season. Last year was the most viewed regular season of 24 years, and Game 5 of the WNBA Finals was the most viewed final of 25 years. The league has also set records for digital consumption and commodity, with the highest total participants in over 20 years.
Still, Stewart is optimistic that others can push the landscape even further.
“We are raising the standard just by showing that anything is possible when you invest behind us and come behind us,” Stewart said.
The playoffs are coming soon! How do you prepare y'll? ⬇⬇️👀 pic.twitter.com/rdx4agwn5b
– Unparalleled basketball (@unrivaledwbb) March 13, 2025
Below are some of the unparalleled methods that can affect the WNBA.
1. Increase your pay and provide player fairness
Unparalleled release at a critical time in sports. The explosive growth coincides with negotiations between the WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to seek higher salaries. The player opted out of his previous contract last October.
It offered unparalleled paid record salary, averaged around $220,000 per player, and player equity that the WNBA has not offered. Thirty-six players signed the unparalleled thing, and six more people were able to use injury relief.
Salaries would have been a top priority for the WNBPA no matter what. However, the contradiction of average pay (the average WNBA salary was about $120,000 in 2024) maintained the topic of salary this winter.
Another part of Unrivaled's model – about 15% of league equity players could also portray a change in the WNBA, which is now in its 29th season this summer. WNBPA says it wants an equity-based model that will evolve with the league's business success in the upcoming CBA.
2. Added improvements to amenities and childcare
There are many differences in the league (operational costs, ownership structure, game format, season length, roster size), but the ratio and similar commitment to prioritizing the player experience can also affect W.
“We're taking in what we like here and we're going to convey ownership,” said Rhyne Howard, star wing of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream and the unparalleled vinyl basketball club.
The WNBA Arms Race is underway, with several franchises building new facilities and improving amenities. Still, offerings can vary widely from franchise to franchise.
The unparalleled person created a private, specialized training space in a few months, equipping a former TV production studio in the Miami area in its comprehensive performance center and arena.
Some of the attacks on unparalleled players are relatively small. The renovated facility has two facilities that are not 24/7, given by all WNBA clubs. Several players also appreciated the heating pads on the tables in their training rooms.
Claire Duwelius, another vice president and general manager who is formerly general manager of Minnesota Links, served as a point person for player requests. She said. “If the players put it on our radar, we aimed to provide it,” Duwelius said.
Perhaps most importantly, others have also ensured that their facilities offer robust childcare options. Wayfair Arena features nursing rooms, nursery schools and children's rooms. This includes toys, books, puzzles and even mini basketball hoops with six team stickers stuck on the backboard. The league hired a nanny so players could take their children off when it was convenient, whether it was a game, practice or other league duties.
Katie Lutha Muelson, a forward for the Phantom Basketball Club and the WNBA Seattle Storm, uses the services of her 1-year-old daughter.
“Nafisa's daughter, (Schuyler Diggins Smith's), they've all made a bit of a friendship together (with my daughter),' Samuelson said. “When we first started, she didn’t want me to leave.
The WNBA's 2020 CBA has made significant advances in parental care policies, with some organizations having similar setups to others. Phoenix Mercury has a children's playroom and offers childcare during the game. Minnesota Lynx uses local companies to help provide care for nannies, with space in the target center for children to play and sleep.
“I feel very comfortable knowing I can get into any game. I can do the necessary treatments after the game is over. “I don't feel like I'm in a hurry, and it was really great.”
An unparalleled co-founder, Breanna Stewart hopes to bring some touches to the WNBA from the 3×3 league. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
3. Increase partnership opportunities
An unparalleled mediated partnership with multiple companies that are perfect for women's basketball. More than half a dozen of the league's corporate sponsors are not existing NBA or WNBA partners, such as Sephora, Wayfair, Samsung Galaxy, Morgan Stanley, and Vistaprint. Collier said the league showed “what is possible when it has a buy-in for a player's brand.” Lexie Haal, the security guard at the invincible Rose Basketball Club who plays for the WNBA Indiana Fever, said Unralied's partnership emphasized that many companies are keen to work with women's sports leagues and their athletes.
As a startup, the unparalleled thing becomes more agile. Because the WNBA is affiliated with the NBA, there are shared adjustments for some dual sponsorship deals.
According to Marketing Brew, the WNBA increased sponsorship numbers last year by 19%, and the league recorded 24 sponsorship revitalization at the All-Star Game Fan Fest last summer.
Jordan Canada, security guard for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream and other Rose Basketball Clubs, said the Unralided deal “puts pressure” on the WNBA. Some transactions may be better suited to WNBA alone than the WNBA and NBA combination.
One of the other unparalleled corporate partners who already had no previous tie and did not have WNBA, is involved in one of the league's franchises. Sephora announced in early January that it will become a founding partner for Toronto Tempo.
“It's important to bring in all sorts of brands and people and introduce them to new faces,” said Chelsea Gray, star guard for the WNBA's Las Vegas Ace and other Rose Basketball clubs. “We recommend that (WNBA) see the various partnerships and bring them in as well.”
4. Increase off-season promotions
The unparalleled thing was more promoted as more than 30 of the top WNBA players were encouraged to live in one area and interacted with each other. Photo and video content was pumped up on official, unparalleled channels and individual player platforms, keeping players more frequently in conversations among WNBA fans.
“It was a missing piece because you were abroad and you didn't know what was going on for seven months,” Stewart said.
In recent years, the WNBA has emphasized the importance of relevance during the offseason. The league signs marketing contracts to several players each season and compensates players as brand ambassadors. But the incomparable ones have boosted those efforts.
Shakira Austin, the center for other people's crazy owl basketball club and the WNBA's Washington mystics, said that other people are “10 out of 10” in gaining player personalities and creating timely social content for online trends. That's what she wants to see more in the WNBA season.
“We are used to being abroad in God, and what country do you know? You're lucky enough to even get good internet services,” Austin said. “To have 24/7 access to WNBA players while playing year round, I think it's dope and it's something that can keep moving forward.”
Unralied players and executives said they hope the winter venture will complement the WNBA. The WNBA held its annual draft in April and took the season in May.
“This league is intended to be aid for the WNBA,” Hal said. “They are supposed to live in unity.”
During an unparalleled season, WNBA officials, including Commissioner Kathy Engelbert and league operations chief Bethany Donafin, visited the Florida league. Stewart said he hoped they had observed all aspects of the new venture.
Duwelius said the players are giving her feedback in the first season of the other season. Stewart wants more space for an in-person fan experience and training room. It's also worth seeing how he's steering the injury, along with plans for next year's tour games. Bazzell said the league has visited four cities targeting non-WNBA cities and university towns and will still have home bases next season.
However, other shock effects could be felt just a few weeks after players return to the WNBA market.
“From what I did with W, I keep telling people what these players are doing all the time until I turn the switch over and get it incomparable and get back to W right away,” Stewart said. “We just want to make sure we're growing the whole sport.”
(Top photo of Napheesa Collier Defending Angel Reese: Rich Storry/Getty Images)
