In “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and his historic run with the Chicago Bulls, episode eight drops a fascinating detail about how Jordan kept his competitive edge in the off-season. While filming “Space Jam,” Warner Bros. built him a custom basketball court—dubbed the “Jordan Dome”—so he could train between takes. NBA legends like Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Dennis Rodman joined him for high-intensity three-on-three games that players described as being as grueling as real NBA matchups. Packed with drills, shooting contests, and fierce competition, those three-on-three games allowed Jordan to feel out his competition and start the 1995-1996 NBA season ready to go, on day one. That year he led his team to a record-breaking 72-win season.
Fast forward to January 17, 2025, and the launch of the Unrivaled Basketball League feels like the formalization of Jordan’s off-season strategy—except this time, it’s not just about staying in shape. It’s a full-fledged business designed to make sure the best players in women’s basketball are treated and paid accordingly.
Founded by WNBA greats Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the league already has a leg-up on other alternate leagues like the Big3 because it is made by players, for players. The start-up raised $34M from the likes of Warner Bros. Discovery, Megan Rapinoe, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Michael Phelps to bring Unrivaled, comprised of six club teams (Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose and Vinyl), to life for an eight-week run in Miami.
“We had a search party to visit four, five different cities before landing on Miami and it was the heavy favorite among athletes on where they would want to spend their winters,” says league President Alex Bazzell. “We’re grateful for the immense support we’ve gotten from Miami and we’re thrilled to have been able to bring professional women’s basketball back to the city for the first time in over 20 years.”
Jewell Loyd #24 of the Mist dribbles the ball against the Phantom during the second quarter of the game at Wayfair Arena on February 03, 2025 in Medley, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Salaries aren’t being publicly disclosed but with a salary pool of $8 million, estimates put each player at receiving no less than $200,000—the WNBA’s highest salary for a veteran player is $252,420. Players also split a 15 percent revenue pot. In this league, all players receive equity (based on several factors like how many years they are signing on to play) and all currently play in the W (unlike other leagues that feature former WNBA players). A big flex considering in 2024 the WNBA delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years, finished with its highest attendance in 22 years and set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales.
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“We’re revolutionizing the game, and the standard of what it means to be a women’s athlete,” says Collier. “It feels like we’re doing that one day or one weekend at a time with these games.”
Take for example the Sprite one-on-one tournament, happening at the mid-point of Unrivaled seasons. The knock-out style tournament has the winner taking home a $200,000 prize with $10,000 going to each of her five teammates, the runner-up receiving $50,000 and the semi-finalists going home with $25,000 each. The only prizes outside of regular WNBA play are during All-Star games where a $2,575 bonus is given for being selected for the squad and the MVP is awarded $5,150.
Games are faster than what fans are used to seeing in the WNBA. With a smaller court, shorter quarters and one-shot fouls with a weighted scoring system based on the penalty, this is an agile game with a new set of rules designed to keep plays moving.
Chelsea Gray #12 of Rose controls the ball against the Vinyl during the second half at The Mediapro Studio on January 17, 2025 in Medley, Florida. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)There’s excitement among players to get to spend the off-season stateside and it’s resulting in head-spinning trades. They’re growing their game and collective power during the off-season that’s sure to make the WNBA even more competitive than ever before.
And players aren’t the only ones excited about spending winter in a sunny and warm destination. Fans from cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and New York City are skipping town (and freezing temps) to catch a game. The fan experience begins the moment tickets are scanned. A series of outdoor activations line the entrance into Wayfair Arena (where Bazzell says the league will stay for “at least the next two years.”) A throne of Wilson basketballs, an Unrivaled step-and-repeat, and a life-size pop-a-shot (where fans can win merch) are some of the activities people can choose from before taking their seat in the 850-seat arena. With McDonald’s launch of the “The Angel Reese Special,” with Breanna Stewart and Lisa Leslie in the graphic, all three of whom are part of the league, it’s clear the game and demand for it are growing, and its effect will reverberate across business, sports and travel.
It’s an ambitious project its founders and front office staff hope to take on the road one day. But for now, it’s a pretty big deal that they were able to get it off the ground to begin with, changing the landscape for what’s possible for women in sports and in the workplace. This kind of bold ambition isn’t new in sports, but seeing it take shape in real-time is something different. Collier, Stewart and every player in Unrivaled is betting on themselves, and being an athlete is what’s given them the confidence to do so.
“Just being in athletics, having that fight mentality where, if you feel like you’re not getting what you deserve, to be able to fight for that,” says Collier on what allowed her to pursue this endeavor. “I’m surrounded by really powerful women who are not afraid to speak up for what they want and I feel like that empowers me. Coming into the WNBA and being surrounded by all those powerful people and what we were able to do with social justice and things there has led to this. It gives you the confidence to be like, ‘Yeah, I can start my own league. I can do whatever I want.’”
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