Latest news with #Unrivaled
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Napheesa Collier unveils 2024 Finals loss put chip on shoulder: ‘My No. 1 goal is a championship'
The post Napheesa Collier unveils 2024 Finals loss put chip on shoulder: 'My No. 1 goal is a championship' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Napheesa Collier was showered with recognition at the end of the 2024 WNBA season for her stellar play, including winning Defensive Player of the Year and coming in second for league MVP. However, that wasn't enough for the Minnesota Lynx superstar. Collier's mind remained on the brutal overtime loss to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. 'Of course, I want to be the MVP. But I'm never going into a game like, 'I need to get this many points and I need to get mine so I can get my MVP numbers,'' Collier confirmed in an interview with ESPN. 'My No. 1 goal is a championship. I'd much rather get Finals MVP than league MVP because that means we won.' Collier stayed vulnerable as she detailed what her process of mentally moving forward from the heartbreaking loss was like. '[It's about] taking all of that anger and frustration and disappointment and turning it into, 'We don't want to feel that way again,'' Collier said. 'We have to make sure we are, individually, doing everything in the offseason to get better and then come back and have a different outcome.' The 28-year-old also explained how she channeled her emotions into fuel to fire her up during the offseason she spent with the league she co-founded, Unrivaled. 'I wasn't focused on the WNBA. I was focused on Unrivaled, and I was focused on myself,' Collier admitted. 'I was trying to focus on what's right in front of me. I feel like that's the only way to get through stuff. There is always so much going on, you can't focus on everything at once.' Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve also noticed the shift within Collier, which she encouraged her team leader to bring back with her to Minnesota for the 2025 campaign. 'You can't escape the idea that there was fuel that came from not being able to complete the mission of a championship, and how [the loss] happened,' Reeve said. 'Maybe that was the beginning of her saying, 'No, I want to win this.' 'That was the switch for her,' Reeve explained. 'She came into this season with a chip on her shoulder, appropriately backing up the words of, 'Yeah, I'm a sore loser because I want to win.' She came in with that, and I was so giddy.' Collier's taken Reeve's expert advice, and it's paid off so far for this year's leading MVP award candidate. She's averaging a career-high 23.2 points on 51.7% shooting, her highest rate since her second year in the W. Collier's adding 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game, showing that she's elevated her game to another level. 'Having an edge is a must,' Reeve said. 'If you don't have an edge, you can't reach your greatest heights. Sometimes it's hard for Phee, but she does it in her own graceful way.' As for the Lynx's 2025 championship aspirations, Collier's feelings have shifted quite a bit since the end of last season. 'I think pressure is a great thing,' Collier concluded. 'You have to perform well under pressure, and I think I do that. This team is mine; if we win or lose, both will be my responsibility. 'I think it makes me a better player.' The Lynx and Collier got their first taste of revenge with their 100-93 win over the Liberty on July 30. Minnesota and New York will face off three more times this regular season on August 10, 16, and 19. Related: Napheesa Collier gets 100% real on how Unrivaled fuels WNBA success Related: Alex Rodriguez praises Lynx star Napheesa Collier's 'incredible' business move
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Report: Unrivaled salaries to rise; 90 percent of '26 rosters set
August 5 - The Unrivaled women's basketball league has already signed nearly 90 percent of its player pool ahead of its second season in 2026. "We have a few spots left open to fill and then we're pretty much ready to go," Unrivaled co-founder Alex Bazzell recently confirmed to Front Office Sports. With the 3-on-3 league expanding its pool from 36 to 42 players in 2026, the math adds up to about 35 to 37 spots already being filled across the six teams. The six additional players will form a developmental pool and will sub in for injured players throughout the season, as needed. Unrivaled has not officially announced any new players. Notable absences from the league's 2025 debut campaign included Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. Paige Bueckers was still in college in 2025 but is expected to join on a $350,000 salary for 2026, per reports. That's more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie deal. Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier told the podcast "A Touch More" last week that salaries are expected to rise in 2026 from the average of $220,000 last season. Bazzell, who is married to Collier, confirmed the salary hike to Front Office Sports, although without providing any specific figures. "The numbers are going up because the business outperformed every metric that we had," Bazzell said. "It's part of our business model that we built from the ground up, which is that as the business continues to drive more revenue, the revenue is going to get funneled back into the players." The Rose BC team, captained by Chelsea Gray, defeated Vinyl BC to win the inaugural Unrivaled season championship on March 17. --Field Level Media
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who is Alex Bazzell? Napheesa Collier's husband helping build a women's basketball league
Who is Alex Bazzell? Napheesa Collier's husband helping build a women's basketball league (Image via Getty) Napheesa Collier is a star power forward for the Minnesota Lynx. Off the court, her husband, Alex Bazzell, helps shape her path in basketball and life. Together, they used their love and hard work to start something new for women's basketball players. First, they met when Napheesa was a high school senior and Alex was just beginning his training career. Years later, they turned their teamwork into a fresh league that gives players more time, money and hope. Keep reading to see when and where they met, how their family grew, and how they made this league happen. Napheesa Collier and Alex Bazzell's journey from training to love and family In 2014, at Parkway North High School in St. Louis, Missouri, Napheesa Collier was a senior and Alex Bazzell first saw her play. They stayed in touch after she graduated. In August 2015, at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, Alex Bazzell became Napheesa's trainer as she joined the Huskies basketball team. The pair began dating in Napheesa's junior year, 2017, at UConn. In October 2019, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alex asked Napheesa to marry him. On May 25, 2022, in Minnesota, the couple welcomed their daughter, Mila Sarah Bazzell, into the world. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'Mila Sarah Bazzell made her way into the world 52522 we are so in love,' they shared on Instagram. Alex has trained top stars like Carmelo Anthony, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving. 'We had this vision of building a family,' he said, recalling how the sports world prepared them for parenthood. Napheesa Collier and Alex Bazzell launch unrivaled league to change women's basketball On July 6, 2023, in Miami, Florida, Napheesa Collier and fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart launched Unrivaled, a pro three-on-three women's basketball league. Alex Bazzell took the role of league president. 'The league would fill a gap in the calendar' for players in the WNBA off-season, Alex told CNBC Sport, calling it 'extending the runway of professional basketball.' Unrivaled's first games tipped off on January 17, 2025, in Medley, Florida, with six teams of top WNBA players. Also Read: Donald Trump Signs Executive Order To Bring Back Presidential Fitness Test In Schools After 13 Years Players earn more than $220,000 on average, which is higher than any other women's league, and each has a chance to own part of the league. 'They're making more here per game than any league in the world,' Alex said to The Associated Press. As president, Alex Bazzell uses lessons from training legends like Kobe Bryant to make Unrivaled a place where women athletes can grow, earn and lead for years to come. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
South Carolina women's basketball star Ta'Niya Latson signs NIL deal with Unrivaled
South Carolina women's basketball player Ta'Niya Latson is among a group of 14 college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced on July 19. The "Future is Unrivaled" group of college stars signed to NIL deal include Latson, former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley (who transferred to LSU this offseason), UCLA center Lauren Betts, UConn stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, Southern California star Juju Watkins and others. Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier that completed its first season during the spring and featured a long list of WNBA players including Collier, Stewart, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu and more. Latson, an incoming senior, transferred to South Carolina from Florida State in the offseason after three straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game. She is expected to give a major scoring boost to the Gamecocks' 2025-26 team after Fulwiley's transfer to LSU. The start of the women's college basketball season is less than four months away, though South Carolina's season opener has not yet been announced. Announced non-conference matchups for 2025-26 include trips to Southern California, South Florida and Louisville along with Players Era Tournament games against Duke and either UCLA or Texas in Las Vegas. BIG ADDITION: Ta'Niya Latson reveals why she picked South Carolina, Dawn Staley over UConn, LSU, Tennessee This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball star Ta'Niya Latson signs NIL deal with Unrivaled
New York Post
27-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty's late rally not enough against Sparks as Breanna Stewart's injury hangs over loss
Just three games after the Liberty got Jonquel Jones back, they have another injury to worry about. Just four days after Jones returned from a second ankle-related absence of the season, and in a season where different injuries to different players have forced the Liberty to keep adjusting, they watched as Breanna Stewart motioned toward the bench with 6:38 left in the first quarter Saturday — jogging down the court in transition and pulling up before being able to contest a 3-pointer in the corner — and get subbed out of the game five seconds later. She was ruled out with a lower leg injury. Advertisement Just as the Liberty erased a rough June with a five-game winning streak, they were left holding their breath about Stewart and watched as Rickea Jackson fought through contact right before the final buzzer sounded to give Los Angeles a thrilling 101-99 win. 5 Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens (23) drives past New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during the first half at Barclays Center on Saturday. John Jones-Imagn Images 5 Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26, 2025 at Barclays Center Arena in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE via Getty Images Advertisement Stewart, averaging 19 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this year, hasn't missed a game this season, but she underwent surgery on her right knee in March after the Unrivaled campaign ended. She has missed just two games — both in 2024 — and remained a constant in the lineup despite Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison all missing at least a game due to injury, in addition to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who's out for the year. Part of the Liberty's decision with Stewart on Saturday could've revolved around caution. 5 Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) during the first half of a game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement They were finishing a back-to-back before embarking on a four-game road trip, which starts Monday in Dallas. Head coach Sandy Brondello also reiterated a desire pregame to start reducing Stewart's minutes — and, really, the minutes of all of her starters — and maximizing the depth that kept growing with the recent addition of Stephanie Talbot and will only continue to grow once Emma Meesseman, who agreed the Liberty and is working through the visa process, arrives. But Saturday, at least, the Liberty were able to adapt on the fly until the end. 5 Natasha Cloud #9 of the New York Liberty looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Advertisement 5 Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty drives to the basket during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post The Sparks led by as many as 15 points in the first half, even with the Liberty shooting 45.2 percent from the field, and poured in 58 points across the opening 20 minutes. Defensive issues, which had largely evaporated after the return of Jones, returned. Open 3-pointer after open 3-pointer helped the Sparks build the foundation for a lead that withstood any Liberty run. Still, the Liberty found a way to eventually mount a comeback, using Ionescu's 30 points, Cloud's 22 and Jones' 14. It took until the 2:18 mark of the fourth, but Ionescu — who scored 17 points in the first half but was largely limited in the second until midway through the fourth quarter — finally tied the game at 95 with an and-one. She tied it again with 23 seconds left on another jumper. But after Jackson converted, Ionescu never got another chance.
