Caitlin Clark hasn’t publicly announced if she will join Unrivaled for its inaugural season. But the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league is ready in case the Indiana Fever star decides to suit up.
Unrivaled has expanded its initial roster from 30 to 36 players ahead of its first season, which starts in January in Miami. The personnel news comes one day after Clark’s teammate on the Fever, guard Lexie Hull, agreed to become the 29th player to commit, and three days after Clark’s good friend and Iowa teammate, Aces guard Kate Martin, became the 28th. On Thursday, Unrivaled added another one of Clark’s WNBA teammates, Fever star Aliyah Boston, to its formidable cast as player No. 30.
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell says the league was able to expand quicker than expected, outperforming early revenue projections from a combination of brand partnerships, sponsorships and its recently inked media deal with TNT Sports.
“It has allowed us a lot more flexibility,” he said. “It allows us to bring in six more premium athletes who will also be part of the ownership group. It was strictly a business decision; as we make money there will be more opportunities.”
There will now be six players across the six teams (Lunar Owls, Laces, Mist, Rose, Phantom and Vinyl). Like the first 30 players, the additional six players will also receive equity as part of their deals. The league founders are diluting their equity shares to make room for the half-dozen—a decision they believe will pay off long-term. Bazzell believes the expansion will improve the product overall, with teams able to take advantage of the extra body in practice or in case of an injury or illness.
Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, plans to announce the six teams’ coaches (who are already hired) in the coming weeks. The decisions on how playing time will be divided will be up to the coaches. In a few weeks, there will be a roster construction meeting between the head coaches who will try to evenly create the most competitive teams based on position, skills and matchups.
The entire list of 36 players will be announced on Nov. 20.
Bazzell, who is married to Collier, hopes to eventually get to eight teams with 48 roster spots in the next few years but maintains it’s imperative to focus on the original 36 players first and avoid growing too quickly.
Unrivaled is backed by high-profile investors from Alex Morgan to former ESPN president John Skipper. It remains a challenge for the league to secure the most high-profile women’s basketball players. Some targeted players had other offseason obligations or received stronger offers overseas, but the brain trust feels confident about the initial roster, which includes UConn star Paige Bueckers (joining in 2026), Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese and six-time All Star Brittney Griner, who is taking advantage of the new option for star W players.
“We have an obligation to continuously add the best of the best wherever we can and be supportive,” Bazzell said.
While the unsigned talent list includes Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, there continues to be buzz about the possibility of Clark coming on board. The WNBA’s Rookie of the Year has yet to announce a decision on Unrivaled and her offseason plans, but she would be more than welcomed by the alternative league.
“We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark,” Bazzell added. “We’re not applying a full court press the way people think. We are letting her decompress from basketball. … She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready.”
Bazell said the league is already “proud of what we’ve built, and we’re in a position to succeed. But if she played, she would take it to another level. … She knows we would love to have her.”
(This story has been updated with the news that Aliyah Boston will play in the Unrivaled league.)