Unrivaled, a new three-on-three basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is best summarized by its name.
It’s not the WNBA. It’s not trying to emulate the league from which all of its stars have been plucked or any other women’s sports league, for that matter. Unrivaled is precisely what it says: without equal.
The rules, expectations, media-rights deal and pay reflect the approach of a hungry industry newcomer. Sky forward Angel Reese is one of 36 players who will head south for the winter to participate in Unrivaled’s inaugural six-team season, which tips off Jan. 17 in Miami. She’ll be teamed up with former Sky star and 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, now with the Mercury.
‘‘Hi Coppppppp,’’ Reese shared on social media after the rosters were announced.
Joining Reese and Copper on the Rose Basketball Club are Aces guard and three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray; Sparks forward Azurá Stevens, another member of the Sky’s championship roster; Mystics guard Brittney Sykes; and Fever guard Lexie Hull. They will be coached by Sparks assistant Nola Henry.
According to Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, the league will focus on player development. For Reese, that means growing defensively.
Three-on-three naturally exposes players’ weaknesses. Success is determined by which team can best exploit its opponent in the pick-and-roll. Opponents are going to target Reese on ball screens to create mismatches. How she uses her size and length to avoid getting broken down by guards such as Courtney Vandersloot, Kelsey Plum and Arike Ogunbowale will be a point of emphasis.
Offensively, Reese’s efficiency will be challenged. She’s going to have more space to operate because of limited help defense. She also will have more mid-range scoring opportunities and looks from the corner, giving her a chance to work on her goal of expanding her shot profile.
Aside from the All-Star Game in July, this will be Reese’s first time playing on a roster of WNBA stars who have some title experience. Not only will that benefit her in terms of developing her skills, but it also will help how she approaches her role as the Sky’s franchise player.
‘‘I think Chelsea Gray will definitely help [Reese’s] development,’’ Henry said. ‘‘It’ll speed up her development just from a leadership standpoint but also from understanding angles of the floor and screening. Most important for Angel — it doesn’t matter [if it’s] three-on-three, five-on-five or college — she’s an incredible rebounder. So I expect to see rebounding from her.’’
In addition to Henry, Unrivaled’s other coaches are former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, Mystics assistant Andrew Wade, NBA player-development coach Adam Harrington, NBA/WNBA skills coach DJ Sackmann and longtime NBA assistant Phil Handy.
Collier’s and Stewart’s teams will face off at 6 p.m. on opening night on TNT. Reese’s and Weatherspoon’s team will go head-to-head at 7:15 p.m. the same night. Every Unrivaled game will be streamed on Max. Monday and Friday games also will be broadcast on TNT. Saturday games will be broadcast on TruTV.
The game will be slightly different from international three-on-three, which is played on a half-court. Unrivaled will be played on a scaled full-court and will feature four quarters, as opposed to playing to 21 points.
The league still has two roster spots it must fill. ESPN reported Wednesday, however, that WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark won’t be one of the final additions after months of speculation about her participation.
