What started as a simple experiment for WNBA players has now become their most powerful weapon in the fight against the league.

In 2025, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart co-founded the Unrivaled, a 3×3 league as an alternative for players to earn on American soil. While the CBA showdown drags on, the 29-year-old detailed how Unrivaled’s presence proved beneficial for the players.

First, the financial factor was a huge sign. Last year in the WNBA, the max a player could earn was roughly $250,000. The average salary for middle-tier players was $102,249. But this year, for the 2026 Unrivaled, the reported salary was $220,000 for an eight-week tournament. Top players like Paige Bueckers pocketed over $350,000. That’s why the 3×3 league’s co-founder used it as a comparison to what the current players are missing in the WNBA.

“Everything we are fighting for (in the WNBA), salary, benefits, equity in the league, we have at Unrivaled. We have all these things without needing to ask,” said Napheesa Collier on today’s episode of The Athletic Show.

“We want for nothing here. Not only do we meet the minimum standards that we’re begging for in the WNBA, but we also exceed them. Players see here what professional life should look like, so it’s really hard, once you’ve been given that, to accept less. It gives us leverage. We don’t have to just accept anything you give us, because if you don’t give us what we’re owed, we have other places we can go,” she explained.

Apart from the salary, the Unrivaled also provided an equity pool in the league for players who joined in the first season. Plus, they also got bonuses for reaching certain stages in the tournament. The championship-winning team earned $50,000 each for the players. In fact, Chelsea Gray earned $200,000 as the winner of the 2026 1-on-1 tournament.

According to Napheesa Collier, the players have a better understanding since the 3×3 league is now in full effect. Which puts the pressure on the WNBA to match that standard. In fact, during the Unrivaled semifinals, the entire Barclays Center chanted “Pay the Players” throughout the night, a direct call to Cathy Engelbert and the league office to finalize the WNBA CBA so the season can begin on time. Here is where the issue begins to unfold.

On top of that, just seven months after its inception, Unrivaled’s valuation soared to $340 million following an oversubscribed Series B funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.

The WNBPA dismissed the WNBA’s latest proposal as “not worth taking.” The WNBPA asked if the players would “accept the league’s proposal of 50% of net revenue,” which is less than 15% of gross revenue in an eight-year deal, or ask the union to keep negotiating?” And the answer was that the 84% of players responded that they “would not accept 15% and want the union to keep negotiating.”

There were some factual inaccuracies in the question, but at the end of the day, the players still won’t accept what’s on the table unless they are compensated with what they truly believe is right.

That said, the league only has less than a couple of days (March 10) to avoid delay. While Napheesa Collier touts Unrivaled as a unified front, internal fractures within the WNBPA surfaced with a leaked letter from her co-founder, Breanna Stewart, complicating the union’s negotiating position.

Leaked Letter Involving Co-Founder Breanna Stewart Adds New Drama to CBA Talks

A leaked letter controversy only added more drama to the tense CBA negotiations. Executives Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum sent a three-page letter expressing concerns regarding the WNBPA leadership. It stated “serious concerns about how the PA is handling the current negotiations.” Now, Stewart herself has addressed that the leaked letter shouldn’t have even seen the light of day.

“That letter was supposed to be private,” she said at the Team USA media availability. “Plum and I had some concerns we wanted to address with Terri and get the entire EC back on track, just making a path forward to get the best deal possible. It was unfortunate that it became public knowledge.”

WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson has already brushed aside her frustrations regarding that letter.

While the drama keeps everyone on their toes, the deadline issue shouldn’t be forgotten. Hopefully, the leverage that Napheesa Collier is stating comes to their rescue.