The Unrivaled women’s basketball league is entering a new phase of growth. On Wednesday, the professional 3×3 league, which made headlines by paying the highest salaries in American women’s team sports during its debut season, announced it will add two new teams and 18 additional roster spots ahead of its second season.
When play resumes in January 2026, the Hive Basketball Club and Breeze Basketball Club will debut, each carrying six players. Unrivaled will also establish a six-player development pool that provides injury relief throughout the season.
Expansion Plans for Unrivaled Women’s Basketball League
Unrivaled Basketball will expand its league to 8 teams by announcing two new clubs. Hive Basketball Club and
Breeze Basketball Club.More growth for Women’s hoops 🙌
(via: @Unrivaledwbb) pic.twitter.com/MFjP8wloTc
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) September 11, 2025
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell revealed that while expansion was originally targeted for after the third season, rapid growth accelerated the timeline. The additional teams will also allow the league to expand its game-day schedule, avoiding back-to-backs and supporting player recovery following the WNBA’s demanding 44-game season.
Most of Unrivaled’s inaugural season players are returning, with 30 signed to two-year contracts through 2027 and 15 locked into three-year deals. Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers will make her Unrivaled debut in 2026 under a three-year contract. Though Indiana Fever standout Caitlin Clark has not entered discussions, Bazzell noted the league’s openness to welcoming top talent.
Earlier this week, Unrivaled secured new funding at a $340 million valuation, a tenfold increase from its May 2024 valuation. This surge in financial backing positions the league strongly as it expands its footprint beyond Miami with planned tour stops for the upcoming season.
As roster distribution is finalized, Bazzell emphasized the importance of fairness while maintaining team identities and fan connections: “Our job is to make sure that these teams are spread out fairly, but we don’t lose the core identities of some of these fan bases that have built up.”
