Napheesa Collier reacted to the news of her Minnesota Lynx teammate Courtney Williams joining the Unrivaled basketball league. Collier co-founded the 3-on-3 women's league with Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, set to begin play in January 2025.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Unrivaled revealed that Williams is the 26th player to join the league. There are four remaining players to be announced to complete the roster. The league is composed of six teams with five players on each team.
Collier reacted to the news by retweeting Unrivaled's post on X, as well as writing a one-word message plus an emoji:
"Yessirrrr 😛"
Courtney Williams is in her ninth season in the WNBA and first with the Minnesota Lynx. She signed a two-year contract to join the Lynx and team up with Napheesa Collier. The duo helped Minnesota reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017.
Collier had a game-high 27 points plus 11 rebounds, four assists, one steal and four blocks on 10-for-16 shooting. Williams stepped up to have her best scoring playoff game, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals as the Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 88-77.
The 30-year-old guard was a one-time All-Star in 2021 when she was playing for the Atlanta Dream. She also played for the Phoenix Mercury, the Sun and the Chicago Sky.
With four players missing from the complete roster, here are the players who have already joined the Unrivaled basketball league:
- Breanna Stewart
- Napheesa Collier
- Chelsea Gray
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Jewell Loyd
- Kelsey Plum
- Rhyne Howard
- Kahleah Copper
- Jackie Young
- Angel Reese
- Dearica Hamby
- Kayla McBride
- Marina Mabrey
- Satou Sabally
- Allisha Gray
- Natasha Cloud
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Rickea Jackson
- DiJonai Carrington
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Brittney Sykes
- Shakira Austin
- Tiffany Hayes
- Brittney Griner
- Azura Stevens
- Courtney Williams
The league is set to start its first season in January 2025 and will be held in Miami. Longtime tennis executive Mickey Lawler was named as its first commissioner.
Napheesa Collier on why she co-founded the Unrivaled basketball league
On the "Hitting the Hardwood Podcast" with Mitchell Hansen in November, Napheesa Collier explained why she co-founded Unrivaled with Breanna Stewart. It's all about giving WNBA players an option to continue playing in the offseason, earning money while staying at home.
"I hope it provides us with a place in the U.S. where we can continue to get better at our game while also making money here," Collier said, according to Canis Hoopus.
"So many of us have to play overseas to make money and I think a lot of injuries come from that because players aren’t getting the rest that their body needs. When you're playing year-round year after year, that's when you see these really terrible injuries. So allowing our bodies to get rest, playing in the U.S. and making money while doing it."
Some players have to sign with teams overseas where the salaries are more competitive than the WNBA. Collier, for example, played for the Turkish team Fenerbache in the past two offseasons.