Unrivaled League Announces $350K 1-on-1 Women’s Basketball Tournament

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, will crown its first one-on-one champion on Feb. 14, 2025, in a high-stakes tournament featuring 30 players competing for a $350,000 prize pool. The event, which begins Feb. 10, will be nationally televised and marks a bold move to further popularize the league.

The tournament will feature a single-elimination format, with players divided into four pods. Fans will vote to determine seedings, ensuring competitive matchups. The winner will take home $200,000, while the runner-up earns $50,000 and semifinalists receive $25,000. Additionally, teammates of the champion will each receive $10,000, fostering team camaraderie.

Games will be played to 11 points or 10 minutes, whichever comes first, with a seven-second shot clock. Traditional scoring rules apply, and players have unlimited fouls, though consecutive fouls in non-shooting situations result in a point for the opponent. The finals will be a best-of-three series.

Notably absent from the tournament are five prominent players: Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, Stefanie Dolson, and Courtney Vandersloot. Their absence has sparked disappointment among fans, with some speculating about the reasons behind their decisions. “No point without Reese,” one fan commented on social media, while another questioned, “Is she scared of getting dumped out in round one?”

Alex Bazzell, president of Unrivaled, emphasized the league’s commitment to player input. “I’m like, ‘Well, let me just go straight to Stewie and see what she thinks,’” Bazzell said, referring to co-founder Breanna Stewart, who enthusiastically supported the idea. Stewart, along with co-founder Napheesa Collier and star Alyssa Thomas, will participate in the tournament.

Katie Lou Samuelson, a player for the Indiana Fever and Phantom, highlighted the financial incentive as a major motivator. “We’re all competitive. It’s a great opportunity,” Samuelson said. “There’s a great prize fund at the end of it. Everyone’s gonna play as hard as they can.”

The tournament’s innovative format and substantial prize money aim to attract viewers and elevate the league’s profile. With fans eagerly anticipating the results, Unrivaled continues to push boundaries in women’s basketball.