Unrivaled expands again, adding two teams, 12 roster spots and a six-player development pool

Unrivaled, the professional 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, announced Wednesday that it will add two new clubs — Breeze BC and Hive BC — for its second season.

The expansion brings Unrivaled’s team total to eight and creates 12 new roster spots, increasing the number of participating players to 48. The league also is establishing a season-long development pool of six players who will serve as relief options for clubs dealing with injuries. The announcement comes two days after Unrivaled disclosed a $340 million valuation and follows a recent Series B funding round.

Unrivaled president of basketball Luke Cooper said the expansion is happening a year earlier than planned. The league will add a fourth night of games this season and intends to eliminate back-to-back scheduling for teams, changes designed to ease player workload and broaden the league’s calendar.

"This expansion is coming sooner than we expected," Cooper said, noting operational adjustments to accommodate more teams and the development pool. The new structure will increase roster depth and provide additional opportunities for players to remain stateside during the WNBA offseason.

League leadership has promoted Unrivaled as offering the highest average salary in professional women’s sports history and has received positive reviews for player experience, resources and facilities after its inaugural season. Unrivaled was created to provide an alternative competitive path and income source for players between WNBA seasons.

Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled’s president, said the organization approached the WNBA about a potential partnership during its most recent funding round, aiming for a relationship similar to the TGL–PGA model in men’s golf. Bazzell told Front Office Sports that Unrivaled would remain the majority owner while the WNBA would have a minority stake to extend year-round engagement with women’s basketball. He said the WNBA chose not to pursue that arrangement.

Bazzell previously told Sports Illustrated that Unrivaled does not seek to be "a thorn in the WNBA’s side," calling the leagues complementary and saying Unrivaled aims to "finish their calendar." The WNBA has not announced plans to partner with Unrivaled.

Unrivaled’s expansion also reflects investor confidence following the Series B round. League officials have tied the funding to accelerated growth plans that include increasing game nights, expanding rosters and exploring additional business partnerships.

Last season’s format drew attention for its compact events and concentrated talent pool; this year’s changes are designed to distribute games across more dates and reduce player fatigue. The development pool of six relief players will be available throughout the season, giving teams immediate options to replace injured players without disrupting competitive balance.

With eight teams and a combined active roster of 48, plus the six-player development pool, Unrivaled’s operational player pool will encompass 54 players under contract or on-call. The league has scheduled adjustments to avoid back-to-back games when feasible, though a full-season calendar has not been released.

Co-founders Collier and Stewart have remained visible supporters of the league’s growth strategy. Unrivaled has framed its expansion as part of a broader effort to grow the women’s game domestically by offering competitive play and higher pay during the WNBA offseason.

Officials said more details on team locations, season schedule and the development pool’s administration will be released in the coming weeks as the league finalizes logistics for its second season.