When the inaugural season of Unrivaled, the trailblazing women’s 3-on-3 professional basketball league, launches in Miami this Friday, fans can expect a radically reimagined version of the sport optimized for maximum excitement. By instituting innovative rules changes designed to evoke the frenetic pace and dazzling creativity of pickup games, Unrivaled aims to transport the irresistible energy of the playground onto the pro stage.
Redefining the Game
“This game is rooted in how you would play basketball as a kid on a blacktop,” explained Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations. “There’s flow. There’s pace. When you’re watching, it feels like you’re watching basketball… it’s not a gimmick.”
Unrivaled games will unfold on a condensed 49.2-foot by 72-foot court, notably more compact than the 94-by-50 dimensions used in the WNBA. This tighter layout, reminiscent of halfcourt setups often found in parks and driveways, sets the stage for a relentlessly up-tempo brand of ball.
New Format, Faster Pace
Games will consist of three 7-minute quarters, capped off by an innovative “winning score” period in the fourth. The target final score is determined by adding 11 points to the leading team’s total after three quarters. This tweak eliminates the possibility of overtime while organically building toward climactic, buzzer-beating finishes.
“We want this to be about basketball. You’re just playing to a score, which is honestly the purest form of basketball.”
– Luke Cooper, Unrivaled President of Basketball Operations
To further accelerate the action, Unrivaled features a brisk 18-second shot clock, forcing teams to push the tempo. The clock will only stop after made baskets in the final 30 seconds of a period, ensuring a continuous flow for the majority of each game.
Fouls and Free Throws
The league also streamlines trips to the free throw line to keep the game moving. All fouls, whether on a layup or behind the arc, result in a single foul shot worth one, two, or three points based on the attempt. Players foul out upon picking up their sixth personal foul. However, if a team is reduced to just three players, a disqualified player may remain on the court but will trigger a one-shot technical foul for each subsequent infraction.
One-on-One Showdowns
In addition to the standard 3-on-3 competition, Unrivaled is introducing a scintillating 1-on-1 tournament from February 10-14. This single-elimination event pits individual stars against each other in a cutthroat clash for a $250,000 grand prize and $10,000 bonuses for their 3-on-3 teammates, adding a thrilling wrinkle to the league’s inaugural campaign.
With its audaciously reimagined rulebook and devotion to capturing the essence of the playground, Unrivaled stands poised to inject an invigorating jolt of creativity and passion into the world of professional basketball. By fearlessly shattering the sport’s conventional structures, this upstart 3-on-3 outfit seeks to remind fans of the pure, unadulterated joy that first sparked their love affair with the game.
