Unrivaled approached both Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson ahead of launching their league in January 2025. In fact, Front Office Sports reported in 2024 that Clark was presented with a “Messi-like offer” to join. It was reportedly worth more than $1 million and also included revenue-sharing opportunities. While the WNBA stars didn’t join then, the Unrivaled may have just given them another reason to reconsider.
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Unrivaled has now reached a new partnership deal with adidas to become its official uniform and performance apparel partner starting with the 2027 season. The league previously had a deal with Under Armour for its first two seasons.
“The league had a deal with Under Armour for its first two seasons. A league source tells @FOS the deal with UA ended,” Front Office Sports’ Colin Salao wrote on X.
According to adidas, the sportswear giant will provide Unrivaled athletes with on-court uniforms, performance gear, and apparel for the league’s off-court basketball activities. The partnership will also extend beyond the players, with adidas becoming the apparel provider for Unrivaled’s youth camps, clinics, and other community basketball programs.
In addition, adidas and Unrivaled will work together on initiatives that give players more opportunities to share their stories, voices, and ambitions. The partnership will also bring fans closer to the league, with adidas set to introduce a new range of authentic jerseys, performance apparel, lifestyle collections, and other Unrivaled merchandise.
“We continue our journey to be the next-generation brand of basketball,” Max Staiger, Global General Manager of Adidas Basketball, said. “Unrivaled shares our belief in what’s possible in women’s basketball, and investing in athletes is the best way to grow the game.”
“We’re excited to partner with the league to advance that vision through innovation, athlete empowerment, and new opportunities that grow the game at every level.”
Back in 2024, Caitlin Clark was under a rookie salary, and with the old collective bargaining agreement, she was only earning $76,535. However, regardless of the financial incentives she could get from joining the league, Clark still said no.
She had initially said “We’ll see” when asked if she would be taking part in any offseason basketball activities during the height of the rumors. But as it turned out, she ultimately declined the invitation.
Following the season-ending injury she suffered in June 2025, Clark didn’t participate in offseason basketball despite Unrivaled successfully wrapping up their second season in 2026.
A’ja Wilson, on the other hand, did spell out her reasons for declining the invitation clearly. For her, even though the financial package was attractive, she chose to prioritize enjoying and protecting her offseasons.
“I like to enjoy my offseason. That’s my time to really just decompress,” Wilson said.
“Unrivaled seems great; my teammates are loving it. Obviously, the money in it is amazing. And it’s like, Dang, missing out. But wholeheartedly, not even trying to front, I just want to protect my peace. Because once the season gets in, no one’s gonna think, Oh, you just got done playing Unrivaled; let’s take it easy.”
Wilson also seemingly stuck to her decision to rest during the offseason, as despite not recovering from any injuries and fresh off of winning the WNBA championship and her second consecutive MVP award, Wilson also didn’t play in 2026.
However, this new partnership with Adidas definitely puts Unrivaled in a more attractive position, which may be more appealing to either or both Clark and Wilson. Apart from all the apparel and outfit benefits, securing a global titan like adidas definitely highlights Unrivaled’s rapid business growth, aligning with its recent expansion to eight clubs and 54 players and a soaring league valuation of $650 million.
As Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled Co-Founder and CEO and Napheesa Collier’s husband, said, “Our partnership with adidas represents an important next step in Unrivaled’s growth and evolution.” Perhaps part of that growth is finally getting Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson to reconsider their decision and join the league.