Why One WNBA GM Left for Unrivaled

General manager Clare Duwelius helped bring the Minnesota Lynx back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017, and watched her team of 11 years fall in heartbreaking Game 5 overtime to the Liberty.

She had casually expressed interest in her star player Napheesa Collier’s 3-on-3 league Unrivaled, tipping off in January, but it wasn’t until after the season that things got “real.” She spoke more with Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, Collier’s husband, about a role that could combine operations and being a GM.

“Having a unique position in a different league, I think it was just the right time for me and a perfect fit,” Duwelius tells Front Office Sports.

Unrivaled announced Monday that Duwelius will be the league’s first EVP and GM, three weeks and a day after the WNBA season ended. “We are thrilled to welcome Clare Duwelius as a critical piece of our league. Her track record and proven excellency speak for themselves, and she brings years of unparalleled experience from a storied and successful franchise,” league commissioner Micky Lawler said in a statement marking the announcement.

While Duwelius says she’s “so, so grateful” for her time in Minnesota, she was ready for “a new challenge.”

“Obviously it’s going to be all hands on deck getting this league up and off the ground, and being involved in the details and having my fingerprints on how it comes to life was really enticing to me,” Duwelius says.

Duwelius wasn’t the only departure from the Lynx staff announced Monday. Assistant coach Katie Smith also announced her move to be an assistant coach at her alma mater, Ohio State. Both Duwelius and Smith opted to leave the WNBA rather than pursue openings within the league, of which there are many. Minnesota is one of three teams without a GM.

Duwelius says she’s proud to see others get those opportunities in the WNBA, but the “innovative” new league won her over. She’s especially excited about Unrivaled’s commitment to the player experience—the league says it will give the highest average salaries in women’s sports, pulled in a massive media partner in TNT, and is building its own facility in Miami with spaces for training, childcare, and content creation. For some players, Unrivaled will offer better facilities than their WNBA teams. Duwelius says the new league’s level of professionalism “will probably bleed into” upcoming WNBA CBA negotiations.

Unrivaled announced two weeks ago that it would expand its roster from 30 to 36 players because it’s already exceeded its financial projections. Duwelius says Bazzell has spearheaded all player acquisition conversations, but he has been “super gracious” and “bouncing ideas back and forth” with her to determine the final spots. WNBA stars, including Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, and Aliyah Boston, are signed up to play. And as of Thursday, four are yet to be announced. 

“This was just a super exciting opportunity where you get to see where all of the hype around women’s basketball is being displayed in a different, fun, new format,” Duwelius says. “And the best thing that kind of put me over the edge in terms of making my decision to come to Unrivaled was I’m still surrounded by the best players in the world.”