Founded by pros Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty in 2023, the Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 basketball league that went on floors for the first time in January 2025. Still in its nascent stage, the full-fledged league promises to run across nine weeks, including playoffs and 1-on-1 elimination rounds between six women’s clubs.

Seemingly a whole different league with a unique blend and flavor, the Unrivaled wrapped its inaugural season in March 2025. However, a recent post by the league was enough to ruffle a few feathers in the WNBA and the NCAA alike. The account shared a newspaper-like poster on Instagram, with a headline that read, “The Future is Unrivaled. Class of 2025.” Below this were 14 pictures of college athletes. Let’s see what this is all about.

Who are the 14 women’s college basketball stars signed by Unrivaled in this NIL class?

The official account made an announcement as we head towards the end of the month, writing, “Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy just signed 14 of the top women’s college hoopers to game-changing NIL deals.” The Instagram update further read, “We’re kicking it off with “The Future is Unrivaled Summit” Presented by Samsung Galaxy in Miami at the end of July. Stay tuned for more.” Breaking the news on social media handles, the 2025 Unrivaled unmasked the identity of 14 top players today.

The group will include athletes from some of the most elite programs like the USC Trojans, LSU Tigers, UConn Huskies, Notre Dame, and many more. The featured athletes to participate include JuJu Watkins (USC), Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), Azzi Fudd (UConn), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), and Sarah Strong (UConn).

Other athletes to feature this year include Olivia Miles (TCU), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Lauren and Sienna Betts (UCLA), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), and Syla Swords (Michigan). This year, the Unrivaled will go on floors with players ranging from sophomores to seniors, to demonstrate the league’s investment in both present and future stars of women’s basketball.

What is the significance of Unrivaled’s NIL initiative for women’s college basketball?

After previously joining hands with Paige Bueckers and Flau’jae Johnson, this year will mark the second consecutive season where Unrivaled will ink NIL deals with NCAA players. Having said that, USC athlete JuJu Watkins is not just another player in the league. Despite being sidelined due to an ACL tear, Watkins had signed as an investor for the upcoming Series A funding round. 

This move indicates an increasing involvement of players in the league’s ownership, financial, and several other operations. According to Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, Luke Cooper, this NIL initiative is a “transformational” move that centers on holistically supporting athletes while continuing to elevate women’s sport. 

“This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes,” Cooper said. Moreover, these deals indicate a deeper commitment to growing women’s basketball through NIL revenue schemes, adequate media exposure, and a focus on developing leadership qualities.

What role does the ‘Future is Unrivaled Summit’ play in these NIL deals?

The impressive class of student-athletes is set to attend the multi-day event at the headquarters of Unrivaled. Presented by the official technology partner, Samsung Galaxy, the summit will be held in Miami towards the end of July 2025. “Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” Cooper added.

Calling the NIL deals a central mission of the league, the summit will act as a launchpad for the NIL class. While the exact dates of the event still remain under wraps, the summit will focus on various exercises and activities.

These activities will be centred around developing the players’ unique skills, teaching them the nuances of content creation and how to use the online tools to market themselves, and integrating various other tools necessary for athletic branding. This initiative will foster them towards the league’s impressive marketing and developmental ecosystem. It will prepare the athletes before they go on the floor to hit their second season in January.