Unrivaled league roster nearly complete

With 34 of the league’s 36 total players now announced, Unrivaled can soon move forward with team creation, scheduled to take place on Nov. 20. Each player is being placed in groups A through F, based on their position, size, skills, etc. From there, the selection committee will create balanced rosters keeping in mind these factors, as well as other things like pairings the fans will enjoy. Once the rosters are finalized, the head coaches will be assigned their teams.

Rae Burrell played college basketball for Tennessee before being drafted 9th overall to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022. She was on and off the Sparks’ roster until she was able to sign a multi-year deal with the franchise in 2024. Burrell also played overseas in Australia in the WNBL, for the UC Capitals. As a back up shooting guard/small forward for the Sparks in 2024, she averaged 5.9 points per game off the bench. Her skill set has the potential to translate into the 3×3 game, since she has the length to contest in the frontcourt and the experience playing on the wing as well.

Jordin Canada played the 2024 WNBA season with the Atlanta Dream, but before that played with both the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm. A point guard and facilitator, Canada’s ability to create plays and lead her team on the floor have made her an asset for teams during her career. Though slightly undersized at 5’6, Canada’s ability to handle and pass will make her an asset to her team in Unrivaled play. Canada is another player with overseas experience, having played in Australia, Turkey and Poland in previous years. Surely another player looking to take advantage of the chance to stay in North America during the WNBA offseason as opposed to playing overseas.

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Unrivaled has been rolling out the announcements over the past few weeks. They recently revealed the league’s first six head coaches will be Teresa Weatherspoon, Phil Handy, DJ Sackmann, Andrew Wade, Adam Harrington and Nola Henry. They also revealed an animation to give fans a look at what the court and arena atmosphere would look like.

The league also recently revealed nicknames for its six clubs: The Mist, The Phantom, The Lunar Owls, The Laces, The Vinyl and The Rose.

There are of course two more player announcements to happen before the selections will be made on Nov. 20. Unrivaled is boasting six figure minimum salaries for players, as well as equity share in the league for inaugural players. This makes these salaries the highest in U.S. women’s professional sports. Founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the point is to give players profitable opportunities to not only stay in the U.S. during the WNBA offseason, but also to play competitive basketball in a league that takes player needs and desires into account.

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