It’s a big week in women’s basketball. Representatives of the WNBA and the WNBA Players’ Association (WNBPA) are meeting in hopes of moving forward with a collective bargaining agreement before the Oct. 31 deadline. With a potential lockout for the 2026 season, the women’s hoops calendar could see some major changes, even as expansion teams in Portland and Toronto prepare to join.
As the CBA looms large, so does the full schedule for the second season of Unrivaled, set to kick off in January 2026.
Based on the inaugural season, fans of the 3-3 league should expect the full schedule to be released sometime in November ahead of the January 5, 2026, start date. There are now eight teams, and the season will still be primarily based in Miami, Florida.
The inaugural season of Unrivaled –— the new basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — was a huge success, averaging 221,000 viewers, 589 million earned and owned social media impressions, and reaching more than 11.9 million viewers. It’s important to remember that Collier has been a huge critic of the WNBA in recent weeks, and as vice president of the WNBA Players Association, has a massive say in the new CBA. The Minnesota Lynx star also stands to gain (or lose) the most, as Unrivaled is the biggest threat to the WNBA right now.
Key 2026 Unrivaled dates
- January 5, 2026: The official start of the second Unrivaled season.
- January 30, 2026: The league will host its first "tour stop" in Philadelphia, featuring two games at Xfinity Mobile Arena. There will be four teams and two games that ‘honor the city’s basketball heritage while showcasing the future of the game.” Matchups will be revealed once the schedule is released in November, according to Unrivaled.
- January to March 2026: Games are scheduled for four nights per week during the regular season before the postseason begins in mid-March
Philly is Unrivaled. One night only. In the City of Basketball.
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) October 2, 2025
Philly, get ready! Tickets are live NOW. https://t.co/icuXllAgeI pic.twitter.com/6BDM1I4tCe
2026 Unrivaled rosters
The league’s six initial teams — Mist, Phantom, Vinyl, Rose, Laces, and Lunar Owls — will return, joined by Breeze BC and Hive BC. There will be 18 total players — six for each team, as well as six players in what the league is calling its season-long development pool. All but two players have been announced.
“We know you all were eager to learn who would be joining us this year, and we wanted to give you as much information as possible ahead of more big news in Philadelphia. A few of the players we’re in productive negotiations with just need a little extra time -- and we’re all about giving our athletes the space to make big decisions on their own terms. That means we’ve still got two roster spots, and we can’t wait to share who will be filling them soon,” Unrivaled GM Clare Duwelius said in a statement.
Some of the already known 46 (of 48) players are:
- Paige Bueckers: 2025 Rookie of the Year
- Breanna Stewart: Co-founder of the league
- Napheesa Collier: Co-founder of the league
- Kelsey Plum: Joined for the 2026 season
- Alyssa Thomas: Returning
- Satou Sabally: Returning
- Rickea Jackson: Returning
- Jackie Young: Returning
- Dearica Hamby: Returning
- Natasha Cloud: Returning
- Aaliyah Edwards: Returning
How to watch Unrivaled this season
All Unrivaled games will be televised, with streaming options also available.
- Television: TNT and truTV
- Streaming: Max, with the B/R Sports Add-On
- International: International audiences can stream the games for free on the Unrivaled YouTube channel.