The newly formed Unrivaled basketball league, a 3-on-3 player-owned league that is set to compensate 30 of the best players in professional women’s basketball, formally announced the addition of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner on Wednesday.
The Unrivaled league made the announcement official with a video inferring Griner’s addition, followed by a post specifically referencing Griner’s agreement to join the league that is set to tip off in January of 2025.
The new Unrivaled basketball league was co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The league was designed to give WNBA stars another outlet to make money in the offseason outside of their WNBA contracts. Unrivaled plans to offer historic contract opportunities for its players, which will include the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history, according to a release.
Griner is the 24th player out of 30 for the inaugural season kicking off in January, and she’s a major addition.
Griner averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds this season for the Mercury.