Unrivaled Women’s Basketball League Surpasses $100 Million Fundraise, Reaches $650 Million Valuation: Unrivaled, the women’s professional basketball league founded by basketball stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has announced that its Series C fundraising round has surpassed its initial $100 million target, becoming oversubscribed at a new league valuation of $650 million.
The round was led by Ten Pillars Sports Fund, backed by UC Investments, marking another major milestone for the rapidly expanding women’s sports organization.
Founded in 2023, Unrivaled was created around a player-first model designed to give athletes a meaningful ownership stake in the league they help build. The league said its players remain its largest shareholder group, with the player equity pool now valued at nearly $200 million.
Since the league’s inception, the value of the player equity pool has increased by more than 550%, underscoring the financial growth of the organization and its emphasis on athlete ownership.
Investment Round Draws High-Profile Backers
Unrivaled’s Series C financing includes new and returning investors from the worlds of sports, technology, business and entertainment.
Investors participating in the round include:
- Carmelo Anthony
- Geno Auriemma
- The Berman Family
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- Jenny Just
- Ashton Kutcher
- Alex Morgan and Trybe Ventures
- Dan Rosensweig
- Ten Pillars Sports Fund
- Trae Young
The latest round adds to an already prominent investor base that includes athletes, entrepreneurs, institutional investors and entertainment industry leaders.
Earlier investors include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Build Your Legacy Ventures, Amy Banse, Dan Benton, Stephen Curry, Moira Forbes, Coco Gauff, Linda Henry, Tyus and Tre Jones, Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, David Levy and Horizon Sports & Experiences, Next Legacy Partners, Ann Sarnoff, Richard Sarnoff, John Skipper, Dawn Staley, Wanda and Alex Sykes, JuJu Watkins, Gary Vaynerchuk and Warner Bros. Discovery, among others.
Valuation Nearly Doubles in Less Than a Year
The Series C valuation represents a substantial increase from Unrivaled’s previous financing milestone.
In September 2025, the league announced an oversubscribed Series B round that valued Unrivaled at $340 million.
The new $650 million valuation represents an increase of approximately 91% from that Series B valuation.
The latest funding demonstrates continued investor confidence in the commercial potential of women’s professional sports and Unrivaled’s distinctive approach to athlete ownership and league development.
Player Ownership at the Center of the Business Model
Unrivaled has positioned athlete ownership as a central component of its business strategy.
The league provides participating players with equity opportunities in addition to salaries and benefits, allowing athletes to participate directly in the value created by the organization.
Unrivaled CEO and Co-Founder Alex Bazzell said the funding will support the league’s next stage of growth while expanding its impact across the women’s basketball ecosystem.
“Unrivaled was built by players and for players,” Bazzell said, emphasizing that player ownership, leadership and ambition remain central to the league’s direction.
Co-Founder Breanna Stewart similarly said the fundraising reflects investor confidence in a model where players have “a real stake in the value they create.”
UC Investments Backs the Growth of Women’s Sports
Jagdeep Singh Bachher, chief investment officer of UC Investments, said the organization sees significant momentum behind women’s sports and Unrivaled.
“The moment for women’s sports is here,” Bachher said, pointing to the league’s ability to attract younger audiences and generate an engaging basketball product.
The involvement of UC Investments through Ten Pillars Sports Fund gives Unrivaled another major institutional investor as it enters its next phase of expansion.
Second Season Delivers Major Growth
The latest capital raise follows a strong second season for Unrivaled, which recorded significant growth in ticketing, merchandise, social media, fan engagement, attendance and its digital ecosystem.
The league expanded to eight clubs and 54 players, reaching those milestones ahead of schedule.
Unrivaled also took its games on the road for the first and second time, generating sold-out crowds at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The Philadelphia event, Unrivaled presented by Xfinity, set records for the highest-attended regular-season professional women’s basketball game and the highest-attended event in Xfinity Mobile Arena’s history, according to the league.
New Capital to Support Expansion
Co-Founder Napheesa Collier said the organization’s goal from the beginning has been to raise expectations for both players and fans in women’s basketball.
The new investment will provide additional resources to improve the player environment, enhance the fan experience and continue expanding the league.
The fundraising comes as the broader women’s sports market continues to attract increasing attention from investors, brands, media companies and major sports personalities.
Unrivaled’s combination of athlete ownership, prominent investors, digital engagement and a rapidly expanding fan base positions the league as an increasingly significant player in the professional women’s sports market.
Season Three Set for January 2027
Unrivaled’s third season will tip off in January 2027 and will be broadcast nationally across TNT Sports.
The league was represented in the Series C fundraising by Inner Circle Sports.
With its valuation now reaching $650 million, a player equity pool approaching $200 million, eight clubs and 54 players already established, and another season ahead, Unrivaled enters 2027 with substantial new capital and growing investor confidence.
The Series C round marks another significant step in the league’s effort to build a sustainable professional sports model in which players share directly in the economic value of women’s basketball.
