Unrivaled is continuing to make waves in women’s basketball. During WNBA All-Star Weekend, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart announced NIL deals with 14 standout college players, a group led by JuJu Watkins, Flau’jae Johnson, and Azzi Fudd.
It’s the second straight year the league has signed college athletes to name, image and likeness agreements, reinforcing its commitment to building a long-term pipeline to professional women’s hoops. While the deals don’t require players to suit up for Unrivaled during college, they give the league a strong foothold with rising stars and provide players with marketing opportunities, media exposure, and financial backing.
“This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes,” Luke Cooper, President of Basketball Operations at Unrivaled, said in the initiative’s announcement. “Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission.”
Building a Pipeline Without Pressure
Watkins, who is currently recovering from an ACL injury, has already backed the league as an investor. Johnson and Fudd were on-site in Indianapolis for the announcement, while players like Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UCLA’s Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas forward Madison Booker, and TCU guard Olivia Miles round out a deep class. Also included are LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, Michigan’s Syla Swords, and UConn’s Sarah Strong and Kiki Rice.
All 14 players will attend The Future is Unrivaled summit in Miami later this month (July 31–Aug. 2), where they’ll take part in skill development, brand-building workshops, and content production for the league.
The NIL deals, most of which run through the end of the 2025–26 NCAA season, are structured to support players without demanding immediate commitments to play professionally for Unrivaled. Instead, the focus is on giving athletes a chance to engage with the league early, while maintaining full NCAA eligibility.
It’s a model that’s already paid off. Paige Bueckers, who signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled last year, later inked a three-year pro contract with the league after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. Both Johnson and Watkins have equity stakes in Unrivaled, continuing the league’s approach goes beyond standard endorsement deals.
Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy just signed 14 of the top women’s college hoopers to game-changing NIL deals.
We’re kicking it off with The Future is Unrivaled Summit Presented by Samsung Galaxy in Miami at the end of July 🤩 Stay tuned for more 👀 pic.twitter.com/xhuCOewiWj
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) July 19, 2025
A League Thinking Bigger
Unrivaled is coming off its first season and will return in January 2026 for its second. The league got off to a fast start, backed by more than $28 million in funding, a media partnership with TNT, and plans to expand from six to eight teams by 2027.
Founded to offer top-tier women’s basketball players a high-paying alternative to playing overseas during the WNBA offseason, Unrivaled’s format, branding, and athlete-first approach have made it one of the most ambitious ventures in the sport.
By aligning early with college talent — and not just signing them, but investing in them — Unrivaled is building something bigger than a league. It’s building a future.
Full NIL Class List:
Team
NCAA Team
JuJu Watkins
USC
Flau’jae Johnson
LSU
Azzi Fudd
UConn
Hannah Hidalgo
Notre Dame
Lauren Betts
UCLA
Sienna Betts
UCLA
Madison Booker
Texas
Audi Crooks
Iowa State
MiLaysia Fulwiley
LSU
Ta’Niya Latson
South Carolina
Olivia Miles
TCU
Kiki Rice
UCLA
Sara Strong
UConn
Syla Swords
Michigan
With its next season around the corner and some of the top names in college basketball already on board, Unrivaled isn’t just staying ahead of the curve, it’s helping shape it.
