The unrivaled league does not close the door to cooperation with the VNBA

Since the beginning of the week, Unrivaled started his second 3×3 season in Miami. Co-founder Breanna Stewart etc Napheesa Collierthe league has never sought to position itself as a direct rival to the VNBA, but rather as a “domestic” off-season solution to avoid European exile in the winter.

Napheesa Collier already nailed this line last summer, when some pointed out a conflict of interest between her union duties and her role in Unrivaled: The Target, she basically saidit’s not about “winning” the VNBA, it’s about pulling the women’s basketball ecosystem to the top.

The same logic is found today in the speech of the president of Unrivaled (and also the husband of Nafiza Collier), Alex Basel, who does not close the door to the form of partnership with the VNBA.

“We don’t talk about it all the time, but I’ve always said we’re open to ecosystem development, no matter what form it takes.”he explains. “Nothing is ‘on’ or ‘off’ the table. I’m not going to speculate on what might happen, but everyone knows our door is always open.”

This outstretched hand is not new. According to ESPNBreanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier even suggested the WNBA, in the fall, take a small stake in Unrivaled’s capital to show public agreement. The idea was eventually rejected, as it could conflict with certain league rules.

An outstretched hand

Given very harsh words from Nafiza Collier o WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, we can wonder about cooperation, especially at a time when the Women’s Major League is negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, with a deadline of January 9, 2026 and a strike authorization already voted by the union side…

However, the landscape is getting denser. The upcoming Project B League — a 5-on-5 travel circuit slated for November 2026 through April 2027 — arrives on a schedule that overlaps with the Unrivaled winter, and several big names have already positioned themselves to join this new league, including Alice Thomas etc Jewell Lloyd.

Alex Basel, however, believes that the VNBA and Unrivaled can co-exist, especially because the two leagues do not operate on the same product (season, format, broadcast, etc.) and, above all, because their economics do not meet the same constraints. In terms of earnings, Unrivaled has positioned itself very high since the first season: more than $220,000 average salary in the short format, with a six-figure threshold for each player.

“You have to see all available space as an opportunity”summarized by Alex Basel. “What we have built today with women’s basketball is unique. One does not have to exist without the other to thrive. As long as you look at this space with an innovative eye, anything can be achieved.”