Napheesa Collier pinpoints two key areas to address in Unrivaled as she lays out vision clear

Unrivaled had a successful inaugural tournament in January, with Vinyl BC wnning the championship. It was a momentous start following years-long planning by WNBA stars and league founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

While Unrivaled’s debut was considered a massive success, there are still a lot of improvement to be done. In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, Collier discussed two key points that needs to be addressed ahead of its second season.

According to Collier, the league has to go on the road and improve its fan experience.

“We plan to travel this year on the road for a couple of games," Collier said on Tuesday. "So we get to come see people and meet them where they’re at. Hopefully we get to improve the fan experience when they come to our arena and make it as good as possible.”

The league played its first 10-week season at Mediapro Miami. The facility can only accomodate up to 850 people, making it less desirable as a venue for bigger games as the league grows.

Six teams competed in the inaugural tournament: Lunar Owls, Rose, Laces, Vinyl, Mist and Phantom.

It also featured some of the biggest names in the WNBA such as Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Angel Reese, among others.

The league’s second year is expected to have the same clubs competing, but with an expanded roster to accommodate more players during the WNBA’s offseason.

Napheesa Collier “proud” of what Unrivaled has already accomplished

With the success of Unrivaled, Napheesa Collier is proud of what the tournament has done. She believes there is a brighter future ahead following its debut.

“I’m just really proud," Collier said on Tuesday, via Sportskeeda's Mark Medina. "The reason that we created Unrivaled is to grow the women’s game. Do what it takes to grow women’s athletes and pay them and train what it takes to be a women’s athlete. I think we’ve done that this first year. So hopefully the sky is the limit. We want to keep impacting other salaries. There’s a bright future.”

Collier played for the Lunar Owls. After her stint in the startup league, she looks to bring her experience to the Minnesota Lynx, which lost in the WNBA Finals last year.