Breanna Stewart’s Unrivaled Vision Earns Top Innovator Honor in Women’s Basketball

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has been named a Sports Illustrated Innovator of the Year. She shares the prestigious honor with fellow WNBA forward Napheesa Collier. The award recognizes their groundbreaking work in co-founding the player-owned basketball league, Unrivaled.

This marks a pivotal moment for athlete leadership in professional sports. According to Sports Illustrated, the award celebrates figures who reshape sports through business and vision. Stewart and Collier have done exactly that by creating a new model for women’s basketball.

A New Model for Professional Sports

Unrivaled launched in January 2025 with a radical player-first structure. It gives equity to the athletes, making them true stakeholders in the league’s success. The format features top global talent in a fast-paced, compressed 3-on-3 game.

This model immediately resonated with fans and players alike. The league’s quick success forced an accelerated expansion timeline. Growth was planned for year three but arrived in year two instead.

Accelerated Expansion and Broader Reach

The Unrivaled league is expanding a full year ahead of schedule. Two new clubs, Breeze BC and Hive BC, will join for the second season. This adds 18 new players, bringing the total athlete count to 54.

To accommodate growth, the schedule is adding a fourth night of games weekly. Each club will now play two games per week. The league also announced its first tour stop in Philadelphia, broadening its geographic footprint beyond its home base.

Investing in the Next Generation

Stewart’s long-term vision for Unrivaled extends to the collegiate level. This past summer, the league signed groundbreaking NIL deals with 14 top college players. The list includes future stars like JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, and Audi Crooks.

This strategic move secures the pipeline of talent for years to come. It also provides financial support and visibility to athletes before they turn professional. The initiative reinforces Unrivaled’s commitment to cultivating the entire sport.

Breanna Stewart’s work with Unrivaled is redefining ownership and leadership in women’s basketball. Her Innovator of the Year award underscores a seismic shift toward player empowerment. The future of the sport looks increasingly unrivaled.

Thought you’d like to know

What is the Unrivaled basketball league?

Unrivaled is a professional women’s basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. It features a player-owned model and a fast-paced 3-on-3, full-court format designed to highlight star power and skill.

How is Unrivaled different from the WNBA?

The key difference is ownership structure. Unrivaled provides equity to its participating players, making them investors in the league’s business success. It also uses a distinct 3-on-3 game format during the WNBA offseason.

Which players are involved in Unrivaled?

The league includes many of the world’s top women’s basketball professionals. With its recent expansion to 54 players, rosters feature WNBA All-Stars and, uniquely, top college athletes through NIL partnerships.

Where can fans watch Unrivaled games?

Games are broadcast on major sports networks. For its second season, the league will also host its first tour stop with regular-season games in Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena, expanding its live audience reach.

Why did Stewart and Collier start this league?

They aimed to create a player-centric model that gives athletes more control and financial stake. The league provides additional earning opportunities and showcases the game in an innovative format during the traditional offseason.