New women’s pro basketball league Unrivaled tips off

(16 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Miami – 16 January 2025
1. Wide of court
2. Angel Reese in shooting practice
++COVERED++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Bazzell, President, Unrivaled:
"Unrivaled is a new league. And I think we’re here to create necessary change in in the space. When it comes to each individual player, I think what we’re most proud of is they’re making more (money) here per game than any league in the world."
4. Various of Rae Burrell shooting during Vinyl practice
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rae Burrell, Team Vinyl:
"Typical options that people do during off season, going overseas, you could stay at home, train. Some people go into broadcasting.”
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rae Burrell, Team Vinyl:
“I’ve been overseas twice. I went to Australia after my rookie season and then Belgium this past year.”
7. Vinyl clapping in a circle
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rae Burrell, Team Vinyl:
“I did not enjoy that because it was so lonely, it felt out there.”
9. Vinyl team dancing after practice
++COVERED++
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rae Burrell, Team Vinyl:
“Being able to still work on your game while being at home I think is ideal."
11. Kate Martin shooting during Laces practice
++COVERED++
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rae Burrell, Team Vinyl:
"It was always the narrative that, you know, nobody watches women’s sports. And I think over these past few years, we’ve really proven that a lot of people do, we just haven’t been on the stage to show it. So I think these past few years, we’ve been put on a better stage to show what we do. This is just another opportunity to be on that stage.”
13. Wide of Tiffany Hayes shooting during Laces practice
14. Courtney Vandersloot shooting during Mist practice
15. Various players passing and shooting during Mist practice
STORYLINE:
Unrivaled is setting a new standard for women’s basketball.

In a word: Salaries.

The 3-on-3 league co-founded by Olympic gold medalists Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart debuts Friday featuring 36 players from the WNBA, ranging from veterans like Brittney Griner to rookie Angel Reese.

Unrivaled has the highest average salary for players of any professional women’s sports league with many earning six-figure salaries for the eight-week season.

Players in Unrivaled have an average salary of more than $220,000, which is close to the maximum base salary in the WNBA.

“When it comes to each individual player, I think what we’re most proud of is they’re making more here per game than any league in the world," Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said.

The $8 million salary pool doesn’t include equity or revenue sharing payments which all of the initial 36 players have. And with all games being played in Miami at an 850-seat facility travel costs are minimal and enables the league to pay its players higher salaries.

The league itself also provides a viable option that gives players another option to supplement their WNBA salaries without having to play overseas during the offseason.
“I’ve been overseas twice. I went to Australia after my rookie season and then Belgium this past year,” said Rae Burrell, who is playing for Vinyl during Unrivaled, and plays for the Los Angeles Sparks during the WNBA season.
“I consider myself an extrovert and I did not enjoy that because it was so lonely,” she said. “Being able to still work on your game while being at home I think is ideal."

AP video by Brittany Peterson

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