{
  "id": 3544599,
  "title": "Unrivaled women’s basketball league is valued at $650 million after new funding round",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/unrivaled-womens-basketball-league-is-valued-at-650-million-after-new-3544599",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T16:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/unrivaled-valuation-womens-basketball-f09dd930f9596243dd4b4ba00206322d"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Unrivaled, a leading women's basketball league, recently secured a substantial $650 million valuation following a significant Series C funding round, the league revealed on Wednesday. This substantial increase nearly doubles the league's valuation from a year ago, when it completed a Series B funding round. Notably, the players' equity pool is now valued at nearly $200 million, a remarkable 550% surge since its inception.\n\nUnrivaled president Alex Bazzell highlighted that the Series C funding surpasses all previous funding combined, providing the league with the necessary resources to continue its growth trajectory. The upcoming third season will commence in winter, with Unrivaled poised to strengthen its position in the women's basketball landscape.\n\nCo-founder Breanna Stewart expressed her gratitude to the investors, stating, \"This raise reflects the confidence investors have in what we set out to build at Unrivaled: a league where the best players in the world have a real stake in the value they create.\" The infusion of capital will enable the league to enhance the player experience, bolster the fan engagement, and further propel the league's future.\n\nThe Series C funding round, led by Ten Pillar Sports Fund, which is backed by UC Investments, was oversubscribed and surpassed the league's initial $100 million target. UC Investments' chief investment officer, Jagdeep Singh Bachher, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, \"The moment for women's sports is here. Young people get it. We get it. Anyone who's watched Unrivaled knows this game is every bit as thrilling as any other sport out there. We're excited to help propel that momentum forward.\"\n\nUnrivaled currently consists of eight teams, with most of their games played at a 1,000-seat arena in Miami. The league has already hosted two sold-out tour stops in New York and Philadelphia last year, and plans to extend its reach with eight tour stops in 2027.",
  "summary": "Unrivaled has raised funds that put its valuation at $650 million, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced Wednesday. That’s nearly double its valuation from a year ago, when the league closed a Series B funding round. Unrivaled…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Front Office Sports",
        "title": "Unrivaled Valued at $650M After Latest Funding Round, Players Own 30%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/unrivaled-valued-at-650m-after-latest-funding-round-players-own-30",
        "published": "2026-08-26T12:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Unrivaled women’s basketball league is valued at $650 million after new funding round",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/unrivaled-womens-basketball-league-is-valued-at-650-million-after-new",
        "published": "2026-08-26T13:21:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}