“If we didn’t expand rosters, there were going to be All-Stars [wanting to join] who we didn’t have space for. We want to be the home for all of the best players in the world.” Those were the words of Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell after announcing the league’s big expansion, adding two fresh teams in Breeze Basketball Club and Hive Basketball Club. And really, that’s been the vision from day one: stack this league with the very best talent in the world. They proved they weren’t messing around earlier this year when they landed Paige Bueckers. But that was just the start.

Even before winning UConn’s 12th national title and going No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers had decided to commit to Unrivaled. She then signed a three-year deal in April and also invested in the league. “Paige being a part of Unrivaled shows the longevity and future this league has,” Breanna Stewart had said. “Her being supportive of us in the first year and then playing in the second, is something that’s really exciting. We just are making sure that each year we have top caliber talent coming in.”

Sonia Citron, the No. 3 overall pick out of Notre Dame in the 2025 WNBA Draft, made a big impression right away. She averaged 14.9 points per game on sharp shooting splits of 47.0% from the field, 44.5% from three, and 87.2% at the line. Her breakout season was capped off with a WNBA All-Star nod in July.

The Rookie of the Year race between Paige and Sonia was intense all season, but in the end, Paige won it in a landslide, taking 70 of the 72 votes. It made sense, too, as she led every major rookie category, finishing with the most total points (692), the highest scoring average, the most total assists (194), and assists per game.

Citron joins Paige Bueckers, Saniya Rivers, Veronica Burton, and Erica Wheeler as first-time players in Unrivaled, with more signings expected in the near future. The big question is whether Caitlin Clark will be one of them.

Caitlin Clark to join the likes of Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron?

As Unrivaled gears up for a new season, its value has skyrocketed. After a fresh Series B investment round, the league’s valuation surged to $340 million—nearly ten times what it was in May 2024 when it first secured funding. This jump highlights both the league’s rapid success and its relentless push to attract top talent. The mission isn’t over, though, and fans are already hoping Caitlin Clark will be the next superstar to join the likes of Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, and Napheesa Collier.

But for now, that seems unlikely. Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell has stayed measured when asked about Clark’s status. “There’s no current dialogue taking place right now,” he said. “There is always an ongoing dialogue. There is no secret who the top players in the world are, and they know we have a spot for them. But we are not knocking down doors or chasing people down. I feel good about where our rosters stand.”

This does suggest that Caitlin might not be totally on board with the league after skipping the inaugural season as well. But with suiting up for just 13 games this season, maybe she would want to use Unrivaled as a way to get back to full match fitness? Well, we’ll have to wait and see. Even without CC, the league still has enough big names, and people would definitely be tuning in to watch Paige Bueckers work her magic on the court.