Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled are providing women's basketball players in the U.S. with more offseason opportunities to play closer to home and supplement their WNBA salaries. This shift is seen as a positive development by players like Alysha Clark, who believes it addresses long-standing issues of having to go overseas to make a living playing basketball.
With Athletes Unlimited in its fourth season and Unrivaled in its debut year, players now have the option to choose between a 5-on-5 format in Nashville or a 3-on-3 competition in Miami. The leagues offer different playing styles and structures, catering to a wide range of players' preferences and schedules.
Both leagues have a significant number of roster spots, with Athletes Unlimited offering 40 spots and Unrivaled having 36. This means more players can stay in the U.S. rather than going overseas to play, which is a significant advancement for women's basketball.
Player salaries in the two leagues vary, with Unrivaled boasting the highest average salary for players in any professional women's sports league. The leagues are also competing for viewership, with games broadcast on various platforms including ESPN+ and TNT.
For players like Theresa Plaisance, the alignment of the leagues with the sports calendar provides a seamless transition from one season to the next, allowing for continuous engagement with fans and the sport.
Several players with ties to Tennessee are participating in Athletes Unlimited, further solidifying the state's rich tradition of women's basketball. The league's decision to play in Nashville this season has garnered support from fans, potentially influencing the bid for a WNBA expansion franchise in the city.
Overall, the presence of multiple professional women's basketball leagues in the U.S. is seen as a positive step towards growing the game and providing players with more opportunities to showcase their skills and compete at a high level.
