Unrivaled Basketball League Brings WNBA Stars to South Florida

Thirty-six of the biggest stars in the WNBA are bringing their talents to South Florida through March. The Unrivaled women's professional basketball league kicked off its inaugural season last month, with all games played in Medley's Wayfair Arena.

"Miami made perfect sense for our inaugural season," says chief brand officer Kirby Porter. "We've gotten an enormous amount of support from everyone involved in making our vision for this historic league come to life."

Founded by stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled provides players with a domestic league option for the offseason. Previously, athletes have had to travel overseas to play and earn supplemental income during the winter months.

With Unrivaled, players receive equity in the league and the highest average salaries in professional women's sports. The league's average salary is estimated at around $222,222 — almost double that of the WNBA. Unrivaled has already secured more than $35 million in funding, with big names like Carmelo Anthony, Michael Phelps, Alex Morgan, and South Florida's own Coco Gauff coming on as investors.

"We've created something truly special here," says Porter. "We hope to showcase what it means to invest in athletes and give them the resources and spotlight they deserve."

The league consists of 36 players split into six teams: The Laces, Mist, Lunar Owls, Rose, Phantom, and Vinyl. Players include Olympians, all-stars, and a former WNBA MVP (Stewart). Household names like Sabrina Ionescu, Aliyah Boston, Angel Reese, and Brittney Griner are playing in the inaugural season. Coaches come from both the WNBA and NBA, including Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and former Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.

Games are played in a three-on-three format on a condensed court. The league says it wants to mimic "playground style," fast-paced basketball. There are three seven-minute quarters followed by a final quarter called "winning score," which is determined by adding 11 to the score of the team that leads going into the fourth quarter. The first team to reach that number wins. For example, if the score is 40 to 50 going into the last quarter, the first team to reach 61 wins. Organizers say this format keeps up the pace of the game and eliminates late-game fouls and breaks. The "first to a certain number" approach also eliminates the need for overtime.

The league partnered with Mediapro, a production company, to build out the league's space inside Wayfair Arena, just a few miles from Miami International Airport. Besides the custom court, it also features training rooms, content creation spaces, and an on-site childcare center.

The venue also hosts onsite pregame events featuring food trucks, activations, and photo opportunities in the Fan Fest zone, and there are exclusive spaces and experiences for VIPs. Sprite, Miller Lite, and Samsung Galaxy are Unrivaled's official sponsors, while Wilson is its official game ball manufacturer. Other brand partnerships are forthcoming. "Icy Hot and Unrivaled are going to work together on a court renovation this year," adds Porter.

The league has chosen venues in seven cities to host official watch parties for all the season's games. In Miami, Wynwood favorite Grails was tapped with the honor. The sports bar is also the official watch party spot for Fort Lauderdale United FC, and an official sponsor of local women's basketball league Ballers Lab.

"This is a groundbreaking league and we're thrilled to be able to provide a space where fans can gather and enjoy the games together," says Grails manager William Smith. "We've always been proud to support sports for all genders."

Unrivaled games are held Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with two consecutive games each night. Playoffs are scheduled for Sunday, March 16, with the championship game taking place the next day.