WNBA Upstaged by Rival League During All-Star Draft, Causing PR Nightmare

WNBA Upstaged by Rival League During All-Star Draft, Causing PR Nightmare originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Although Tuesday's WNBA All-Star draft was intended to shed light on the league itself, it ultimately became a free advertisement for a rival league.

With the face of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark and MVP favorite Napheesa Collier being voted as team captains by the fans, the two stars chose their teams on ESPN's "WNBA Countdown." 

In a night that should have left fans debating which team was better, or whether Clark or Collier had chosen the wrong person, it instead gave the 3-on-3 "Unrivaled" basketball league and the WNBA's flaws a significant platform.

The league, founded in 2023 by New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and Collier, held its first season this past January. The purpose of it is to prevent players from having to play overseas in the offseason to boost their income.

Collier, who is the vice president of the WNBAPA, was wearing an Unrivaled shirt while drafting. She also didn't hesitate to frequently mention the league when selecting players who participated in it, which was eight of her 10 choices, counting Paige Bueckers, who inked a three-year deal in April.

phee wearing her unrivaled shirt while picking the wnba all star rosters is such a flex pic.twitter.com/lOLsd9Ui26

— MVPheend (@blackoonblack2) July 8, 2025

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who was one of the Unrivaled players taken by Collier, also took to X with a message of her own regarding Unrivaled.

"#SoUNRIVALED😉,' wrote Reese. 

While the league itself is not a bad thing by any means, as players can earn more while playing less, it does accentuate how far behind the WNBA is in terms of taking care of its players.

According to the AP's Doug Feinberg, the league offers the "highest average salary for players of any professional women’s sports league," with an average salary of $220,000. A mark that isn't too far behind the Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell's contract, the highest-paid player in the WNBA in 2025, according to Spotrac.

It is also worth noting that the players on the team that won the Unrivaled championship brought home $50,000 each, and the league also had a one-on-one tournament where the winner (Collier) won $200,000, which she donated to staff, according to ESPN.

With the WNBA and WNBAPA working on a new CBA deal and players like Reese threatening to sit out if the league's offer is deemed to be unfair, it's safe to say that the WNBA is feeling the pressure.

Related: Caitlin Clark Shakes Up All-Star Game Draft: 'Sorry WNBA if That's Not in the Rules'

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.