Unrivaled makes major change that will bring WNBA stars to new cities originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Unrivaled spent its first two seasons building a successful home in Miami. Now the three-on-three women’s basketball league is getting on a bus.
Unrivaled announced plans for a month-long, multi-city tour during its third season, which begins in January 2027. The league has branded the new venture “Unrivaled on Tour.”
Each selected city will host two games in one night, giving fans outside South Florida their first opportunity to attend regular Unrivaled competition without traveling to Miami.
“We’re going ON TOUR with our friends @ally,” the league announced on social media before asking fans where the bus should stop.
The full list of cities, dates and matchups has not yet been revealed.
Even without those details, this feels like one of the most important moves in the young league’s development.
Unrivaled is testing its growing national audience
Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded Unrivaled to create a high-level domestic alternative for WNBA players during the offseason. The league debuted in January 2025 with all games played at a custom facility in Medley, Fla. Its condensed court, 18-second shot clock and target-score fourth quarter created a product noticeably different from traditional five-on-five basketball.
Unrivaled will expand its tour stops in its third season after nearly doubling its valuation from last year, per @espn 🏀
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) August 27, 2026
President Alex Bazzell said the league will play in four times as many road venues across the country next season.
MORE: https://t.co/FkWHFo3z52pic.twitter.com/vT3y7Aodse
Unrivaled expanded from six to eight teams for its second season. Its next challenge is determining how well the league travels.
The tour provides an ideal test.
Unrivaled can place games in markets with established WNBA fan bases, cities being considered for future professional expansion or areas that have demonstrated strong support for women’s college basketball.
The league already has 46 players announced for its third season, with two openings remaining.
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Stewart and Collier are scheduled to return. Paige Bueckers, Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Rhyne Howard are among the other prominent players attached to the 2027 field.
That star power should make the tour an attractive one-night event even in cities without a WNBA franchise.
Unrivaled also gains something beyond ticket revenue. By visiting several markets, the league can collect real information about regional interest, sponsorship opportunities and potential future locations.
The original Miami model gave players consistency and reduced travel during the WNBA offseason. A limited tour preserves much of that structure while allowing the league to expand its footprint.
Unrivaled does not need to abandon Miami to become a national product. It only needs to give fans elsewhere a taste of what they have been watching on television.
The bus tour will do exactly that.