MEDLEY, Fla. — As Unrivaled prepares to kick off its inaugural season Friday night, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league has struck marketing gold with Angel Reese.
The Chicago Sky forward has lauded the league on social media, telling her followers she “could be here forevaaaa.”
“We get to workout, use the weight room, create new bonds/friendships, get treatment, get massages, use the sauna, getting 2 meals a day, and then a facial before I leave for the day??? yeah i love it here,” Reese posted Wednesday.
She continued her praise for the league during Unrivaled’s media day Thursday.
“It’s easy, just being able to wake up and get things that we deserve,” Reese told reporters. “It puts pressure on the [WNBA], obviously, especially with the CBA coming up.”
The former LSU national champion was one of several players who spoke of the timing of Unrivaled and its off-the-court offerings in connection to renegotiations for the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Players opted out in October, meaning their current deal will now terminate at the end of the 2025 season—just in time for the league’s lucrative new media-rights deal to kick in, likely raising salaries with it.
Reese also said she appreciates that Unrivaled gives her access to train with other players and coaches from other teams, as well as have in-house food, recovery, and open gym time. “It’s pivotal,” she says. “This is what the women deserve.”
She’s one of several players who signed a multiyear deal with Unrivaled, league president Alex Bazzell tells Front Office Sports.
“ The players are the marketing machine,” Bazzell says. “No one’s been more out there than even Angel probably with how much she’s promoting and sharing and posting and commenting. Those things make such a massive difference.”
Through her partnership with Reebok, Reese will debut custom shoes in honor of her Unrivaled team, Rose Basketball Club. The shoes are the team’s forest-green color with small pink roses covering the sides and toes.
We’re back at it again, Angel Reese’s custom Rose shoes for the Rose Basketball Club. @Reese10Angel pic.twitter.com/ljMnlnFouT
— Marvin Baroota (@MarvinBaroota) January 15, 2025
Reese has also openly joked about using the 3-on-3 league as an opportunity to recruit players to Chicago. As a postscript to her tweet about the amenities in Miami, Reese posted: “oh & trust me, a lot of these things will be in chicago this year as well! @FREE AGENTS.”
The Sky are scheduled to open a new $38 million facility this December ahead of the 2026 season, meaning they had one year remaining at their suburban rec center. The perceived lack of investment from the team around amenities has driven out top talent in recent years, including Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper.
“ I just have everything here that I need, and everybody has everything here we need. Obviously, trust me, I’m going back to my team, and I’m texting Ann [Crosby, Sky VP of basketball operations] every day like, ‘We need this, we need this, we need this,’ and she’s like, ‘We got that, we’re gonna get that.’”
Reese will face her former Sky coach and current Unrivaled Vinyl Basketball Club coach Teresa Weatherspoon in Rose’s season opener Friday night.
“I’m excited about it. I know her very well. I’m excited about what she’s doing, how she’s doing it,” Weatherspoon tells FOS. “Of course I’m excited to go against her. Everyone would not think so, but of course.
“It’s basketball, it’s competition. She loves to compete and so do I.”
