September 10, 2025
The Unrivaled league will add three more teams to its line-up after $340 million valuation.
The Unrivaled basketball league just received a large investment from notable entities, including Serena Ventures and Trae Young.
After closing a successful, oversubscribed Series B funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, the organization saw a large investment infusion. Investments from Serena Ventures, Warner Bros. Discovery, Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures, Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young pushed the valuation to $340 million.
In a press release, Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said, “We’re continuing to align with partners who elevate our league and accelerate our strategic growth. With Bessemer Venture Partners leading this round, Unrivaled is in an unprecedented position for a new sports league.”
Bessemer Vice President Caty Rea added, “We believe Unrivaled is building the next great sports league… What impressed us most is the league’s outstanding business performance — achieving both rapid growth and impressive unit economics in its first year.”
Founded in 2023 by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled is a basketball league that employs current WNBA players in their offseason. The league stands out from the WNBA by paying players six-figure salaries and granting them equity stakes.
League athletes earned around $220,000 in its inaugural season, compared to WNBA averages ranging from $66,000 to $150,000. The 3-on-3 league’s pool of funders averages $8 million, providing players with the opportunity to earn extra income in the U.S. rather than taking their talents to other countries.
“We are really changing the outlook of the ecosystem holistically,” Bazzell said in an interview with SB Nation, “You’re seeing more leagues bumping up their pay because that’s where the space is now. We’re proud to play a part in that growth, of just the economics of these players being paid a lot of money to play basketball. That’s where we want to get to. It’s great to have brand deals, it’s great to have all this off-court stuff, but at the end of the day, we want to be able to pay them high salaries on the court.”
Unrivaled success is measurable. During its concluding inaugural season in March 2025, the league drew 11.9 million total viewers, generated 589 million social media impressions, surpassed seven figures in ticket sales, and secured more than 20 corporate partners, including Samsung Galaxy, TNT Sports, Sephora U.S., Wayfair, Under Armour, and Ally Financial.
The first and now second round of successful funding has opened the door for the league to add two more teams, Breeze BC and Hive BC, a development pool for six players, and a fourth night of games.
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