Amidst the unsolved CBA and deadline fiasco of the WNBA, the Unrivaled league’s latest move showed how a system can thrive by prioritising the players.

The 3v3 league arrived in Brooklyn on March 3 where a Vinyl vs Phantom and Breeze vs Mist showdown took place in the sold-out Barclays Center. And before the games, Unrivaled's Commissioner, Micky Lawler, outlined the league’s revenue, which was a result of prioritising the players.

“Our ticket revenue is at actually close to $5 million, we believe after tonight…”, Lawler said to the reporters. “Last year, when we had projected $13.5 million in revenue, we actually ended up with $27 million in revenue, and this year we're at approximately $45 million.”

She also mentioned that the merchandise sales have “performed exceptionally and have much more than doubled”, with the numbers being close to $4 million. And Lawler wrapped up the revenue talk by mentioning what Unrivaled did that the W League is yet to do.

“So, that speaks to the financial performance, but it's a natural byproduct of putting players and the fans first whilst consistently raising the bar and setting new standards,” she said. “Thereby proving what's possible when you focus on the true value drivers of a sport.”

As Unrivaled celebrated its achievements, Kelsey Plum, a Phantom BC star and WNBPA vice president, warned of the high cost of a potential work stoppage.

Kelsey Plum Said That the Players Want to Play

With the deadline being on March 10 and no CBA to agree upon, the fear of a delayed season prevails. While videos are going viral of WNBA fans chanting “Pay the Players” at the Barclays Center, Plum emphasised that the players want to play, and a strike would be even worse.  

“I want to play, and players want to play," said Plum. "Obviously, we're going to continue to negotiate and do everything we possibly can to get this done in a timely fashion. But obviously, a strike would be the worst thing for both sides."

She also added that both sides are “in a revenue [share system], so no revenue, no revenue to share." Highlighting that if the season does not play out, the whole point of fighting and negotiating for a new CBA will be entirely pointless.

Moving forward, Phantom and Mist will play the Unrivaled Finals on March 4.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar