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== History ==
The league was founded in 2023 by [[Napheesa Collier]] and [[Breanna Stewart]], in part to allow [[WNBA]] players to play domestically and to bypass complications from the [[WNBA]]'s prioritization rule for players who choose to play overseas in the WNBA offseason. Unrivaled's inaugural season is slotted to begin
▲The league was founded in 2023 by [[Napheesa Collier]] and [[Breanna Stewart]], in part to allow [[WNBA]] players to play domestically and to bypass complications from the [[WNBA]]'s prioritization rule for players who choose to play overseas in the WNBA offseason. Unrivaled's inaugural season is slotted to begin in January 2025 in [[Miami|Miami, Florida]].<ref name=Yahoo>{{cite news |first=Cassandra |last=Negley |title=Unrivaled basketball league set to feature serious salaries and has the backing of some major names |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/unrivaled-basketball-league-set-to-feature-serious-salaries-and-has-the-backing-of-some-major-names-133130832.html |work=Yahoo Sports |date=May 30, 2024 |access-date=July 21, 2024}}</ref>
The league announced [[Breanna Stewart]] as the first signed player on July 9, 2024.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=Unrivaledwbb|date=July 9, 2024|number=1810685031956009131|title=STEWIE IS UNRIVALED 👑 1/30 ✅}}</ref> In August, it was announced that [[Paige Bueckers]] had signed a [[Student athlete compensation|name, image, and likeness]] deal with Unrivaled, with plans for Bueckers to make her Unrivaled debut in the 2026 season.{{efn|At the time of signing, Bueckers had two more years of NCAA eligibility. She was expected to end her college career after the 2024–25 season and make her Unrivaled debut after the 2025 WNBA season.<ref name=PBNIL>{{cite news |first=Doug |last=Feinberg |title=Paige Bueckers planning for future by joining new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, living in the present |url=https://apnews.com/article/paige-bueckers-uconn-unrivaled-42762b03b972d0b0c20cc324e331ad39 |work=Associated Press|date=August 12, 2024}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Kari |last=Anderson |title=Paige Bueckers reportedly signs NIL deal with women's basketball league Unrivaled |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/paige-bueckers-reportedly-signs-nil-deal-with-womens-basketball-league-unrivaled-160803541.html |work=Yahoo Sports|date=August 1, 2024}}</ref>
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