Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league rules, where games will be played and how to watch
Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league rules, where games will be played and how to watch
MIAMI (AP) — Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league that debuts on Friday. Six teams will compete for the title. Here’s a guide on how the games will be played, where they will be played and where to watch them:
How to watch Unrivaled games
The season runs from Friday to March 17 with games played mostly on Friday, Saturday and Monday. There will be two games a night shown on TNT or TruTv. Former WNBA star and basketball analyst Candace Parker will anchor a studio show during the broadcasts.
Who is playing in the league
The league will feature 36 WNBA players. There will be six Unrivaled teams with six players on each squad. Unrivaled was founded by WNBA All-Stars and Olympic gold medalists Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, who are both playing. Other WNBA stars fans can see include Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Angel Reese and Arike Ogunbowale.
Unrivaled players earning six-figure salaries
Nearly all the players are making more than $100,000. The average player salary is the highest ever for any women’s sports league. There is more than $8 million in the salary pool.
Players also are getting an equity stake in the league. The league is also holding a 1-on-1 tournament in February and the winner will be paid $250,000. Each player on the winner’s Unrivaled team will also receive $10,000.
Unrivaled games being played in Miami
Unrivaled games will be played in Miami at a new 850-seat arena.
The six teams in the league — the Laces, Mist, Rose, Lunar Owls, Phantom and Vinyl — will play games on a condensed court that’s 72-feet long and 49.2-feet wide. A WNBA court is 22 feet longer and less than a foot wider.
Competition rules for Unrivaled matchups
There will be three seven-minute quarters and a fourth quarter that isn’t timed. Teams will play to a “winning score” which will be determined by adding 11 points to the squad which is leading after three quarters. For example: If Team X is leading 60-55 after three quarters, the first team to 71 would win the game.
“Every game, we will have a game-winning shot,” Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said. “That was important for us because coming out of the third quarter, there’s no mysteries of what you need to do.”
There will only be one free throw taken when players commit shooting fouls with the value of it equal to the shot. That means if a player is fouled shooting a 3-pointer, a made free throw will count for three points. A free throw after being fouled on a two-point attempt is worth two points and any and-1 situation is worth one point.
There will be an 18-second shot clock instead of 24 seconds that the players use in the WNBA. The clock will stop on made baskets in the final 30 seconds of a quarter as opposed to the last minute used in the WNBA.
Players in Unrivaled league receive amenities
The Unrivaled facility has a state-of-the-art weight room as well as a glamour room and content creation rooms. There also is a personalized chef at the arena.
Players are housed at no cost in a two-bedroom apartment and provided rental cars.
“They’ve been taking great care of us as far as just the facility,” said Rae Burrell, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. “I mean the facility has been great having meals and everything for us. Always having snacks and the fridges are always stocked.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
