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Unrivaled Opens Season 2 With Ionescu Sidelined and 175,000-Viewer Debut

Ionescu’s injury absence highlights early roster shifts in a bigger, TV-backed offseason league.

Overview

  • The eight-team, 3-on-3 season in Miami features six-player rosters plus a development pool, a 14-game double-round-robin, and playoffs from Feb. 28 to the March 4 championship.
  • Sabrina Ionescu was ruled unable to participate on the court due to a WNBA-season injury but will appear in off-court initiatives, including on-air spots with TNT Sports.
  • Opening-night primetime games averaged 175,000 viewers, slightly below last season’s 208,000 average, with broadcasts on TNT and truTV and streaming on HBO Max.
  • Two new franchises debuted: Breeze BC led by Paige Bueckers and Hive BC led by Kelsey Mitchell, expanding the player pool and early-season matchups.
  • Unrivaled emphasizes six-figure pay—$100,000 minimum, roughly $220,000 average, $350,000 maximum—player equity stakes, and recently drew a reported $340 million valuation.