WNBA Unrivaled Playoffs Set

- Unrivaled was co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart to provide a domestic playing option for WNBA players during their offseason, offering an alternative to competing overseas. - The league features a unique 3-on-3 format played on a compressed court with a faster, 18-second shot clock. Games conclude with an untimed fourth quarter where teams must reach a target "winning score," ensuring every game ends on a made basket. - For its second season in 2026, the league expanded from six to eight teams, introducing the Breeze BC and the Hive BC. A development pool of players was also added to be available in case of injury. - The league has set a new standard for compensation in women's professional sports, with an average salary over $100,000 and an initial salary pool exceeding $8 million. - In the inaugural 2025 playoffs, the fourth-seeded Vinyl team upset the top-seeded Lunar Owls, who had only lost one game all regular season and were led by league MVP Napheesa Collier. Vinyl won the semifinal 73-70 on a game-winning shot by Dearica Hamby. - The 2026 Unrivaled season is taking place amidst ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the WNBA and its players' union (WNBPA). With many WNBPA leaders playing in the league, its Miami campus has become an informal hub for negotiation discussions. - A central issue in the WNBA's labor negotiations is revenue sharing; under the expired agreement, players received about 9-10% of league revenue, compared to the approximately 50% NBA players receive. The WNBPA has submitted proposals to significantly increase that share. - Vinyl's 2026 roster includes notable players like Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, and Brittney Griner, while the Lunar Owls feature league co-founder Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Aaliyah Edwards.