Unrivaled, a new three-on-three basketball league featuring prominent WNBA players, announced its six team names on Thursday: the Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Rose, Phantom, and Vinyl. Each team's official name will include "Basketball Club," reflecting the league's emphasis on community and connection.

Set to begin on January 17, Unrivaled aims to be the highest-paying league in the history of women’s professional sports, offering players equity in the league. The league seeks to foster a sense of community similar to what is seen in soccer and football clubs around the world. "With no city affiliations to tie to, we had to ground our teams in what makes women's basketball special -- the community," the league stated in a video announcement.

Unrivaled will operate for eight weeks during the WNBA's offseason, with a round-robin format determining the top four teams that will advance to the playoffs. Each team will have a roster of five players, with a total of 30 players participating in the league.

Notable players joining the league include New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who are also co-founders of Unrivaled. Other stars include Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale. Unrivaled is reportedly making a significant offer to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, with expectations of a contract worth over $1 million per season.

The league's innovative approach aims to ignite excitement in women’s basketball and build a lasting fanbase.