Women’s sports in the United States continue to grow by leaps and bounds. The arrival of the Unrivaled League will mark an unprecedented achievement. The rules are a little confusing for some, but clearly they are trying to innovate the sport and make it different from the traditional basketball we know.
That’s the essence of this new league, to stand out and stand out from the competition. They brought together 36 WNBA stars to be part of this project with 6 teams.
The salary issue is a big factor because the goal is to improve the economic conditions of female athletes. There are not many public details, but it was reported by several media that Caitlin Clark turned down a million dollar offer to join the league.
The debut in Miami was a success, but to this day there are still doubts about the unique rules they have. Here we will give you more details.
3 vs. 3; the dynamic is huge
The most important thing to know the first day you watch the Unrivaled activities is that it is 3-on-3 basketball instead of the traditional 5-on-5 game we see in the WNBA. Something completely different, even Angel Reese is still adjusting to this format as she was criticized for her first game, but it’s just the beginning.
The court is smaller than usual
The games will be played on a court that measures 49.2 feet by 72 feet. While WNBA games are played on a 94 feet by 50 feet court. Quite a noticeable difference.
How long are the games?
Each game has its own feel and style and is divided into three seven-minute halves, a major difference from the WNBA’s 10-minute quarters.
The last half has no clock, so it is practically a do-or-die game. It is played with a winning score, which adds 11 points to the winning team’s score after three halves. So if the score is 50-45 after three periods, the first team to 62 points wins the game. And forget about overtime, there are no second chances!
Unrivaled fouls and free throws
Just like in the WNBA, a player is ejected after six personal fouls. If there are less than three players left, the last player can continue, but any additional fouls will result in a technical. One free throw per foul, worth two or three points depending on the foul attempt.
If 3-on-3 is not enough, 1-on-1 will be used
The league enters a new phase where the winner takes all. The top prize is $250,000 for the winning team , while each of their 3-on-3 teammates will receive an additional $10,000. This is scheduled for February 10th and will last 4 days.
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