• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Unrivaled Adds Sabrina Ionescu As More Salary Details Emerge

The average salary will reportedly be north of $200,000, and it apparently took much more than that to lure the Liberty star.

Sabrina Ionescu
The Record

Sabrina Ionescu will join Unrivaled for its inaugural season, the league announced Monday.

The WNBA champion fills the final 36th spot on the league’s roster spot, meaning months of creative social-media hints across Unrivaled’s social channels have come to an end. (Not all 36 players will be active; Cameron Brink is on a team, but she’s still recovering from an ACL tear and is set to join her team on the court in 2026, along with Paige Bueckers.)

She will join her New York Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart, a league cofounder with Napheesa Collier, in Miami this winter. The season begins Jan. 17.

Ionescu’s Unrivaled deal is significantly higher than what other players signed to play in the league, ESPN reported. The 3-on-3 league would not say how much Ionescu will be paid, but it was prepared to offer Caitlin Clark seven figures—more than the six-figure deals other players reportedly signed. All players receive equity in the league alongside their salary.

The league recently announced $35 million in total funding, and between that and a multiyear TNT deal, the players are getting paid. ESPN reported Monday the league’s 36 players will share an $8 million salary pool, which would make the average salary more than $200,000. That would be on the high end of the WNBA pay scale, for an eight-week season that requires no travel. The WNBA season typically takes place from May to October. (Both leagues give players free housing.) The Liberty pay Ionescu $205,030 per year, which makes her the league’s 14th-highest-paid player.

Unrivaled drafted players onto its six basketball clubs in November, with a small number of wild-card spots remaining. Ionescu joins Phantom BC, whose players include Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally (Ionescu’s former Oregon teammate), and Katie Lou Samuelson. The team will be coached by Adam Harrington, a former NBA player and coach who most recently served as a Nets assistant from 2016 to 2022.

Ionescu is one of the most popular players in the WNBA, and her addition immediately raises the profile of the league. She has one of the most-worn shoes in the NBA this season, according to Nick DePaula. She’s also a big ratings boost: NBA All-Star Saturday night viewership reached its highest level in four years in 2024, peaking with 5.4 million viewers during the three-point competition between Ionescu and Stephen Curry.

For a league that couldn’t land Clark and lost Kelsey Plum, Ionescu is a great addition for a fan favorite point guard. And the pickup is music to TNT Sports’ ears after the broadcaster both signed a media deal with and invested in the new league.

Ionescu had a poor showing in the end  of the WNBA Finals, and it was later revealed she had played through a high-grade UCL tear on her shooting hand that she sustained in Game 4. Ionescu had surgery on her thumb Dec. 6 and was expected to be out for about four weeks, putting her return just before the start of Unrivaled’s season.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 26, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a three-point shot in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Frost Bank Center.

NBA Betting Scandals Overshadow Wembanyama’s Superstar Leap

Wembanyama is following the path of Shohei Ohtani in MLB.
May 20, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Sparks co-owner Todd Boehly watches during game three of the Western Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.
exclusive

Mark Walter’s Lakers Buy Includes Dodgers Co-Owner Todd Boehly

Jeanie Buss will retain a roughly 15% stake and remain team governor.

Sports Equinox 2025 Shows How Fragmented Sports TV Has Become

Multiple streaming services are needed to watch Monday’s games.
Oct 24, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) celebrates with guard Cade Cunningham (2) after a play during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

‘On the Bench’ Analysts Aim to Give NBA Viewers Courtside Access

Austin Rivers and Robbie Hummel will deliver reports straight from the bench.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Oct 26, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The 2025 World Series logo on the field at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger Stadium Games Could Push MLB Payouts to Record Highs

The Dodgers’ big ballpark and ticket prices help fuel postseason player pay.
Capitals
October 27, 2025

Capitals Fire Assistant Coach After Domestic Abuse Investigation

Assault and abuse cases are defining the start of the NHL season.
Oct 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning during game one of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre.
October 27, 2025

World Series Games Set Ratings Records on Canada’s Sportsnet

Canada continues to watch MLB broadcasts at historic levels.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
October 26, 2025

Lamar Jackson’s Practice Status Flip Sparks NFL Investigation

Baltimore could be disciplined for not properly disclosing Lamar Jackson’s status.
Rob Manfred
October 25, 2025

Canada Could Get MLB Expansion Team, Manfred Says

The league has noted fast-rising fan interest north of the border. 
October 24, 2025

MLB Union Chief on Alert As NBA Gambling Scandal Unfolds

The union leader addresses labor and gambling-related concerns.
October 23, 2025

Underdog Blue Jays vs. Dodgers’ Mega-Payroll on MLB’s Global Stage

The high-profile matchup caps what has been a breakthrough season for the league.