I got sucked into Unrivaled pretty much from the moment I heard about it. A women’s league for players, by players? Heck yes. It was so great to see the development of the league as they got buy-in from athletes and corporate sponsors, and then once the season started I was officially hooked. The team accounts made their way to the top of my Instagram feed. I found myself choosing to watch Unrivaled games over pretty much everything else, staying home to make sure I could watch live and message with friends. Those friends also got sucked into Unrivaled quickly, and hard, to the point where a friend of a friend traveled to Miami to see games live in person. It made me wonder why this league seemed to capture fandom attention in the way that it did. So I gathered up some pals and asked them just that. (I sent questions to Kait and Sam, so their answers are copied and pasted here. I had an in person conversation with Sai and James, as well as messaging with Nicole, and I’ve added summaries of their insights where they fit in.)
Were you more into Unrivaled than the WNBA, less than, or about equally? And elaborate if you'd like.
Kait: Let me put it to you this way: I love the WNBA, but I'm obsessed with Unrivaled. First and foremost, knowing that the league was created by the players, for the players, was huge. Unrivaled treated its players like the professionals they are, with the support and compensation they deserve.
Sam: I think I was more into Unrivaled. And I think it's probably because there were less teams and thus less players to keep track of, as it were. Also 3v3 is fun as hell. Oh actually the whole broadcast top to bottom was phenomenal. Also the games were generally like all at the same time? Like week to week?
What was it about Unrivaled that sucked you in? And how quickly did you get sucked in?
Kait: I was sucked in basically as soon as I heard about it, which was about halfway through the rollout of the players. Their branding and social media presence, along with the overall ethos of the league that I mentioned earlier, is what sucked me in. And I'm so glad it did!
Sam: Well I watched 3v3 during the Olympics and I like the format so i gave the first games a shot and here I am. I got sucked in the first weekend. It's really the full broadcast that is so fun and exciting.
Liz: Sai got sucked in immediately; I sent her a them.com article in January about the percentage of queer players in Unrivaled and she got on board right away. Both her and her spouse James are WNBA fans; they attended Lynx games in Minnesota when they lived there. Sai had already changed her phone background to a Laces wallpaper before the first weekend of games was complete.
The thing that Sai and James both pointed out was how well the roll out of the league announcements and rosters was done on social media, and in particular the personal branding for players. That was a piece I found compelling; the use of nicknames in the roster announcements and broadcast especially. Nicole pointed that out in her thoughts too, that we’ve really gotten to see personalities. “Just having everyone in a smaller contained space … seemed to amplify everything. The excitement from the benches, the trash talk, the social posts.”
I also loved the structure of the broadcasts. The way we got to see some of the behind-the-scenes of the custom-built facilities, having the coaches mic’d up during intermission, the pre- and post-game interviews that felt real and not just like media trained canned answers. The whole thing felt very authentic and that made me care about the players, the staff, the broadcasters, every bit of the league, even more.
Were there any narratives about the league, team, or players that you found particularly compelling?
Kait: One phrase that was used a lot is "iron sharpens iron." Before the season began I was largely focused on the treatment of the players, but as the season went on, we saw videos on social media of seasoned players (and even some of the greatest retired players of all time, like Lisa Leslie) nurturing the skills of the younger players (and probably vice versa). It was amazing to see the players get this opportunity, and to see the effects in real time during the games.
Sam: Players going against former/future teammates and playing with former/future opponents is so compelling and fun in the first place. Also the general “by players, for players” thing is of course amazing and I wanted to support that.
What do you hope to see from the second season of Unrivaled?
Kait: I hope to see even more players from the W, a larger relief player pool (or larger teams in general), and for the league to get even more hype and support.
Sam: Oh! Well–like I want more players to participate… but that means more teams and while that’s not like a negative thing on the whole, I think part of the appeal is the capsule feeling of this. And with the transparency behind the scenes it sort of felt like summer camp. Or winter camp I guess. Anyway, what I mean is I guess I feel we’ll lose some of that if we get eight, ten teams. Growth is ultimately good but, I still think that’s true.
Liz: My personal selfish wish is more of the Sephora glam room. Show me how players and broadcasters are getting ready for these games and not just in the warm up way. AND GIVE ME THE NAME OF ANGEL REESE’S BLUSH.
How do you think Unrivaled will affect the WNBA season, if at all?
Kait: I think Unrivaled will inevitably affect the WNBA season. For starters, because the 3x3 format is so fast and intense, these players are probably in the best shape of their lives. Additionally, Unrivaled gave all of the players a chance to continue perfecting their craft, so we're going to see skills and competitiveness at a new level.
I also think Unrivaled set the tone for how professional women's basketball players should be treated. This is going to raise the bar for the WNBA (and hopefully by a lot).
And lastly, as a women's basketball fan, it was so fun and heartwarming to get a chance to get to know more players—players from all across the WNBA. Not only in terms of their game, but their personalities as well. I have come to love so many more players, and will continue to root for them during the W season (and beyond).
Sam: Surely some eyes that hadn’t watched the WNBA, but who watched Unrivaled would at least give it a shot, if only to follow their fave Unrivaled player over to whatever WNBA team they’re on. Also–I mean Unrivaled was a great way for the players to watch other players. They're improving their game.
I do hope that Unrivaled has a positive impact on the WNBA, both in bringing more eyeballs to women’s basketball AND in raising the level of player support in the league. I also hope we get a second season of Unrivaled that is just as addictive as the first.
