Napheesa Collier Started Caitlin Clark Unrivaled WNBA Rookie Speculation
Let the speculation begin. It doesn't take much to get people talking about Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier accomplished just that by revealing several more WNBA rookies would be joining the new 'Unrivaled' basketball league she founded alongside New York Liberty standout Breanna Stewart.
Collier did a Q and A online and when she was asked if more rookies are set to participate in the 3-on-3 league, she indicated at least three more announcements were on the way.
And counting… https://t.co/Jzwpo5v24N pic.twitter.com/XlRDWCJ3zw
— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) August 9, 2024
The Snoop Dogg gif Collier posted was holding up four fingers and that is with Napheesa adding, "and counting". So far it was already announced that Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky would be playing in the Miami based competition.
Reese recently explained her decision and Collier elaborated further responding to another query by writing, "Angel is a business woman and knows the power of ownership. This is the one investment as basketball players we can control. Angel is part of this group that’s bringing in a ton of viewership, she should have long term upside in the growth of basketball!"
Each player in Unrivaled is set to receive stake in the league as well as the highest average salary in women's professional sports history, which is reportedly set to about double the average pay in the WNBA. In addition to the core 3x3 play, Unrivaled will also feature a 1v1 tournament with a prize of $250K on the line, that according to Collier.
The rest of the rookies who will be a part of the inaugural season remain a mystery, though it is a good bet Kate Martin of the Las Vegas Aces will be one of them based on some cryptic comments she recently made. Perhaps her former Iowa teammate and current Indiana Fever star Clark will join her, whether that be through the commitments that have already been made or the possible future ones Napheesa alluded to.
After all, it's impossible to argue the addition of CC wouldn't bring way more coverage to what Collier and Stewart are attempting to build for women's basketball.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!