WNBA star rookie Angel Reese shed some light on her decision to join the Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league set to launch in January.
Unrivaled is founded by reigning WNBA MVP and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx. The league will give players an opportunity to compete in a professional league during the WNBA offseason without having to go overseas.
During a Chicago Sky media availability, the former LSU star gave an honest answer when asked why she chose to commit her offseason to the league.
‘Being able to be in Miami from January to March, not having to go overseas,’ Reese said.
‘Nobody wants to go overseas. A lot of us never wanna have to go overseas, but some people do have to go overseas unfortunately, so being able to make six figures within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better.’
‘Being able to know two great players that are starting something, I think it’s amazing,’ continued Reese. ‘3-on-3 is something that I love to do, I haven’t been able to play competitively but I think I can work on some of my individual skills because 3-on-3 exposes everything. So I’m excited for it.’
With two of the W’s biggest stars spearheading the operation, Unrivaled is backed by a star-studded cast of investors. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Gary Vaynerchuck, Ann Sarnoff, John Skipper, and David Levy all have stakes in the league set to take place in Miami.
Unrivaled will run for eight weeks and host 30 players across six teams. The league is reportedly offering an average salary of $250,000 to participating players.
The league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart is set to launch in January
Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony invested in the league
Kelsey Plum, Arike Ogunbowale, Chelsea Gray, and Paige Bueackers are expected to play
Reese is averaging 13.5 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Sky in her rookie season
Aside from Reese, several WNBA stars have already signed up to play in Unrivaled, including Kelsey Plum, Arike Ogunbowale, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young.
NCAA star and UConn point guard Paige Beuckers is also expected to play in the league’s inaugural season.
Reese is in a head-to-head battle with Caitlin Clark for the Rookie of the Year title after setting the WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles in the first half of the season.
The rookie is averaging 13.5 points and 12 rebounds per game as the Sky sits fourth in the Eastern Conference (eighth overall) with a 10-14 record.
