Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three women's basketball league, announced Wednesday that it had raised money that puts the league's valuation at $650 million.
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement that this Series C funding is ******* ulatively more than all of the league's other funding combined, and he sees it helping strengthen the league, which will enter its third season this winter. The valuation is an estimate made by the league.
The three-on-three league was co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (Bazzell's wife) and provides players with an equity stake in addition to their salaries. The players remain the largest shareholder group after this latest investment round, with the value of the player-equity pool increasing to nearly $200 million, according to the league.
Ten Pillar Sports Fund, backed by UC Investments, led the Series C raise, which is oversubscribed, surpassing the league's initial $100 million target. Sports stars including Naismith Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, Washington Wizards guard Trae Young and UConn coach Geno Auriemma, and former U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan's Trybe Ventures, actor Ashton Kutcher and Bessemer Venture Partners built on previous investments in the league. The estimated valuation of the eight-team league puts it ahead of each WNBA team except that of the Golden State Valkyries, according to Sportico's 2026 WNBA valuation ranking.
"Anyone who's watched Unrivaled knows this game is every bit as thrilling as any other sport out there — and there's another essential ingredient that drew us in: Unrivaled's athletes don't just play in the league, they own a piece of it," UC Investment chief investment officer Jagdeep Singh Bachher said in a statement. "We're excited to help propel that momentum forward."
#league #alex
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement that this Series C funding is ******* ulatively more than all of the league's other funding combined, and he sees it helping strengthen the league, which will enter its third season this winter. The valuation is an estimate made by the league.
The three-on-three league was co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (Bazzell's wife) and provides players with an equity stake in addition to their salaries. The players remain the largest shareholder group after this latest investment round, with the value of the player-equity pool increasing to nearly $200 million, according to the league.
Ten Pillar Sports Fund, backed by UC Investments, led the Series C raise, which is oversubscribed, surpassing the league's initial $100 million target. Sports stars including Naismith Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, Washington Wizards guard Trae Young and UConn coach Geno Auriemma, and former U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan's Trybe Ventures, actor Ashton Kutcher and Bessemer Venture Partners built on previous investments in the league. The estimated valuation of the eight-team league puts it ahead of each WNBA team except that of the Golden State Valkyries, according to Sportico's 2026 WNBA valuation ranking.
"Anyone who's watched Unrivaled knows this game is every bit as thrilling as any other sport out there — and there's another essential ingredient that drew us in: Unrivaled's athletes don't just play in the league, they own a piece of it," UC Investment chief investment officer Jagdeep Singh Bachher said in a statement. "We're excited to help propel that momentum forward."
#league #alex
2 months ago
