From Three‑on‑Three to the Income Line: Unrivaled League Salaries and Equity Structures

Introduction: A New Playbook for Athlete Wealth

Professional sports are undergoing a transformation, and nowhere is that more evident than in the creation of Unrivaled, a player-founded, player-powered basketball league redefining how athletes are compensated. In a world where generational wealth and entrepreneurial thinking are becoming core principles for athletes, Unrivaled is pioneering a new blueprint: one that doesn’t just pay players, it empowers them with equity, agency, and long-term upside.

For rising stars and veterans alike, understanding the financial model behind Unrivaled is critical, not just as a fan or peer, but as an athlete navigating the increasingly complex world of professional opportunities.

Why Unrivaled Is More Than Just a League

Founded by WNBA champions Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled launched as a 6-week, 3-on-3 summer league designed to give elite players a chance to compete domestically with better compensation, media exposure, and control over their careers.

At its core, Unrivaled offers three fundamental pillars:

• Base salaries averaging $222,000, the highest for women’s basketball in the U.S.
• Guaranteed equity in the league, giving players a real stake in its growth.
• Performance-based bonuses and branding opportunities that scale with visibility.

While the WNBA continues to improve compensation structures, Unrivaled leapfrogs legacy systems by creating a space built by and for the athlete, offering financial and professional tools athletes have historically been denied.

Breaking Down the Compensation Structure

1. Guaranteed Salaries: A Financial Floor That Elevates

Every Unrivaled athlete is guaranteed a minimum salary of $100,000, but the average player is making more than twice that amount. This marks a pivotal shift, one that validates women's sports as both competitive and commercially viable.

Unlike traditional leagues with salary caps and restrictive revenue sharing, Unrivaled front-loads financial security, allowing players to focus on performance, brand development, and long-term planning.

For context, WNBA base salaries for veterans average around $150,000, with only a handful reaching the max of $240,000. Many WNBA players still head overseas in the offseason to supplement income, a risk Unrivaled directly addresses by keeping talent stateside.

2. Equity Ownership: Building Generational Wealth Through Stakeholding

Unrivaled isn’t just offering salaries, it’s offering ownership. Athletes earn vested equity in the league, meaning they share in its financial success as media deals, sponsorships, and expansion opportunities grow.

This equity component mirrors startup compensation models in Silicon Valley, where early contributors are rewarded not just for performance, but for belief and participation in long-term success.

Owning equity gives players:

• A voice at the table in strategic decisions
• Future payout potential from growth or acquisition
• The ability to leverage team and league value into personal brand capital

For athletes thinking like entrepreneurs, equity is more than a perk, it’s a pathway to sustainable post-career income and influence.

3. Bonuses, Sponsorships, and Branding Rights

Performance bonuses tied to tournament wins, MVP awards, and fan engagement elevate income potential even further. But perhaps most innovatively, Unrivaled allows players to own their highlights, giving them control over their own digital rights and monetizable content.

With built-in brand partnerships, lifestyle sponsorships, and social media engagement built into the Unrivaled ecosystem, players aren’t just employees, they’re content producers, influencers, and co-founders of a movement.

These features encourage athletes to extend their reach beyond the hardwood and into media, product endorsements, and long-tail content strategies that further reinforce their personal brands.

Unrivaled vs. Traditional Models: Why This Matters

The traditional sports model is largely top-down: leagues control branding, revenue, and salary structures. Athletes are compensated well, but rarely own equity, control distribution rights, or have direct say in organizational direction.

Unrivaled flips that model with a bottom-up structure, where athletes influence everything from rule changes to marketing strategies. It empowers players to:

• Earn and own simultaneously
• Shape their own media narrative
• Avoid offseason travel risk and wear by staying stateside

It's a more holistic, athlete-first system, one many predict will be a template for future athlete-led ventures across sports and genders.

How Courtside Wealth Partners Views This Opportunity

From a wealth management perspective, Unrivaled introduces a dynamic case study for high-earning athletes looking to diversify income streams, maximize equity upside, and plan for life after sports.

We advise our athlete clients to consider:

• Legal and tax implications of equity (RSUs, vesting schedules, capital gains)
• Protective strategies like trusts or LLCs for equity and branding rights
• Cash flow management to integrate base salary and bonus timing into a broader portfolio

These aren’t just business decisions, they’re generational wealth decisions. Whether it’s Unrivaled or another player-led enterprise, the shift toward ownership and equity is here. Athletes who adapt early gain the upper hand.

Implications for the Industry at Large

Unrivaled is not happening in a vacuum. Its emergence sends signals across:

• The WNBA, where CBA negotiations may now include stronger equity or revenue-sharing requests
• Other women’s sports, where leagues like Athletes Unlimited are gaining traction
• Male-dominated leagues, where players are beginning to organize for bigger ownership stakes

It also speaks to media transformation, where short-form, player-driven content is becoming a key driver of viewership and monetization. This shift opens the door for athlete-produced shows, docuseries, and interactive fan platforms, with monetization baked in.

Final Thoughts: From Players to Stakeholders

Unrivaled is more than a disruptor, it’s a declaration. A declaration that athletes are no longer content being passive earners. They want to be builders, owners, and architects of their own economic future.

For aspiring athletes, agents, and financial advisors, Unrivaled offers a case study in how smart design, empowered voices, and bold financial structures can lead to seismic change.

The future of sports is not just about who wins the game. It’s about who owns the league and the conversation around it.