Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women's basketball league, set for debut

MIAMI (AP) — Unrivaled is ready for its closeup.

The new 3-on-3 women's basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier will debut Friday night.

The idea for the domestic league was first discussed a couple of years ago and now it's come to fruition.

“I can’t even put it into words what it’s going to be like,” Stewart said. “But just the fact that there’s so much hype, there’s so much content, so much chatter about opening night and we worked really hard to get to this point both on and off the court. Excited to kind of just go in and showcase what we’ve done.”

The league features 36 of the best players in the WNBA, including the two co-founders, whose teams will play against each other on opening night. Sensational WNBA rookie Angel Reese's team plays in the second contest.

“I think I’ll be taking it all in in the introductions,” Collier said. “Once the ball goes up, it’s just the game.”

The games will be played on a court that's about 20 feet shorter than the WNBA court. There are three seven-minute quarters and then the fourth quarter will be played to a “winning score.” That total will be determined by adding 11 points to the squad which is leading after three quarters.

Lisa Leslie, who will be one of the analysts for the broadcast that will be shown on TNT and TruTV, was there at the beginning of the WNBA. Now, she's here for the launch of this league.

“It’s unrivaled and unmatched for the women to have such a first class experience in every way,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s different from my first season in the WNBA, where we shared the locker room with the Lakers, which is also an amazing experience. This is just different and it’s just time, like they have their own facilities, their own weight room and massage. This is so first class.”

Unrivaled money

Same as WNBA games, players took part in a halfcourt shootout after their morning practices. Shakira Austin made the first one and earned $100 for her efforts. She went last as the youngest player on the Lunar Owls and had the advantage of knowing that the shorter court meant a closer shot.

“It’s a great start to the day,” Austin said.

While the halfcourt money is the same, players are making a lot more as the league boasts the highest average salary for a professional women's league.

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This story is part of the AP’s Inclusive Journalism Initiative with The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press