Unrivaled Lands Star WNBA Player For Inaugural Season

Valentina Martinez | Dec 23, 2024

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu joined Unrivaled as the latest addition to the new league. The 3x3 winter basketball league opens its inaugural season on Jan. 17.

SABRINA is UNRIVALED 👑 Filling the last wildcard spot ✅ SHE'S A PHANTOM 👻 pic.twitter.com/kShoP3rcY2

— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) December 23, 2024

The league announced the New York Liberty point guard will join Phantom Basketball Club. Ionescu is likely the last player that will be added to the league before its first tip off.

Ionescu underwent surgery earlier this month to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in her right thumb. She sustained the injury in Game 4 of the WNBA finals.

Her timeline to return was four weeks, so there’s a chance she will make her debut at the start of Unrivaled’s first season. Ionescu joins Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

The team is coached by former Brooklyn Nets player development coach Adam Harrington. Phantom has undergone roster changes recently. The club acquired Cloud during the weekend and a wild-card spot which was used to add Ionescu via trade.

Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes moved to Laces Basketball Club. Courtney Williams moved to Lunar Owls. In September, Unrivaled announced a number of WNBA stars would be joining the league such as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Napheesa Collier, DiJonai Carrington, and Breanna Stewart. When the initial announcement was made, Ionescu showed some uncertainty about joining the league.

“I’ve really enjoyed the offseasons, especially being healthy, and I’ve been able to see how big of a jump I’ve had from one year to the next,” Ionescu told The Athletic. Ionescu’s Liberty teammate, Stewart, is a co-founder of Unrivaled. Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Collier hope to keep players “fresh and provide a domestic alternative to athletes looking to compete and supplement income during the WNBA offseason."

Unrivaled will feature many top competitors in the WNBA. Furthermore, the league has promised to pay the highest average salary in all of women’s sports. The league will host games for a total of eight weeks, including a championship on March 17 to end the season.

Games will air on TNT on Monday and Friday nights and will be available to watch on TruTV on Saturday nights.

More Ball Around: Former NBA Lottery Pick May Not Last in G League