One of the most anticipated moments of the WNBA offseason since last year has been the Unrivaled 3×3 league, taking the sports calendar by storm. On January 5, 2026, Unrivaled returns for its sophomore season, with a strong pool of talent and competition promising to be even stronger.
This season, WNBA stars such as Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers, and Alyssa Thomas will compete in Miami from January to early March, setting expectations for this league really high. While the games will primarily take place at the MediaPro Centre (Wayfair Arena) in Miami, FL, the 2026 season will also see the league expand, with some games being played in Philadelphia, PA.
Unrivaled is significantly scaling up for its sophomore season, expanding the league to eight teams: Breeze, Hive, Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose, and Vinyl. The schedule has been redesigned to feature four consecutive nights of doubleheaders from Friday through Monday, airing across TNT, truTV, and HBO Max. While the league has removed back-to-back games to protect player health, the competition remains intense with a 56-game regular season where every club faces each opponent twice.
The postseason is also growing, introducing an expanded six-team playoff format that begins after the February 27 season finale. Under this new structure, the two highest-ranked seeds will receive an automatic bye into the semifinals. The entire season culminates on March 4 with a high-stakes Championship night, ending a rigorous schedule designed to provide nonstop action for fans and better recovery time for athletes. Some of the key dates this season are as follows:
- Season 2 Opening Day: January 5, 2026
- 1-on-1 Tournament Presented by Sprite: February 11, 13, 14, 2026
- Playoffs: From February 28, 2026
- Semifinals: March 2, 2026
- Season 2 Championship: March 4, 2026
Who Are Some of The Returning And Fresh Faces to Unrivaled?
Unrivaled’s second season will see the introduction of two expansion teams, the Breeze and the Hive, both of which have secured high-profile talent through the league’s draft. The Breeze features a star-studded lineup including Paige Bueckers, Rickea Jackson, and Cameron Brink, while the Hive has built a deep roster headlined by Kelsey Mitchell and Ezi Magbegor. These new teams significantly increase the league’s depth, blending elite collegiate standouts with established professional stars to create a more competitive environment.
In addition to the new teams, several foundational stars are returning to their original clubs, such as Breanna Stewart with the Mist and the duo of Jackie Young and Alyssa Thomas with the Laces. The league is also seeing a shuffle of talent as new faces join established rosters; notably, Kelsey Plum has joined the Phantom while Alanna Smith has moved to the Mist. With returning veterans like Rhyne Howard and Satou Sabally anchoring their teams alongside these new additions, the league is fielding its most talented player pool to date.
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