We’re still a ways out from the planned January 2025 launch of pro women’s three-on-three basketball league Unrivaled, but the list of notable people associated with the organization continues to grow. The latest move there comes with an announcement that current Women’s Tennis Association president Micky Lawler is joining the league as commissioner. Here’s more on that from a release:
The seasoned executive has been a champion for gender equity in sports and brings more than 30 years of experience propelling women’s sports forward and empowering female athletes. In this role, Lawler will oversee and manage day-to-day operations for Unrivaled including launching the league in January, driving direction and strategy, leading partnership initiatives, overseeing all revenue verticals, and being a voice to the athletes.
“During a time of unprecedented excitement around women’s sports, I am humbled to be named as the inaugural Commissioner of Unrivaled,” said Lawler. “We’re creating an innovative professional basketball league that highlights the extraordinary athleticism and talent of the best players in the world. From the co-founders to the investors and dedicated staff, everyone at Unrivaled is committed to engaging with fans and amplifying the upward trajectory of women’s basketball.”
Lawler joins Unrivaled following nearly a decade of leading the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) as its President, and a lifetime dedicated to growing the platform of women’s professional sports. During Lawler’s tenure, the WTA broke records across sponsorship, media and international investment in the sport. She is also credited with creating next-level opportunities for players she managed during her 27-year tenure at Octagon and with expanding the game globally.
….“Micky’s experience bringing women’s sports to new heights will be invaluable as we prepare to launch Unrivaled this winter,” said Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled President. “She has exceptional industry experience and a passion for innovation in women’s sports, which will be invaluable to both Unrivaled and its athletes. We are thrilled to have Micky on board to lead this league into its debut season and beyond.”
Unrivaled was first announced in July 2023, with WNBA stars, including Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, involved in that announcement. Former ESPN executive John Skipper (currently at Meadowlark Media) and former Turner Sports executive David Levy have since signed on as investors and promoters, and they played a key role in the unveiling of the league’s business model last month. The plans are for six teams playing fast-paced, one-hour games on a compressed court in purpose-built arenas, and for Skipper and Levy to help them find media deals, with Skipper telling Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter “I would think that every major company that has a sports media component will want to look at this.”
Other announced investors in the league include U.S. soccer stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, NBA legends Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, LPGA champion Michelle Wie West, former Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and actor Ashton Kutcher. And the league intends to play in the WNBA offseason, and draw top talent from that league (which has often seen athletes play overseas in its offseason) with a combination of “the highest average salary in professional women’s sports leagues” and some equity in the league for all participating players. There also may be some further interest in 3-on-3 basketball following the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, which have notable U.S. teams on both the men’s and women’s sides.
We’ll see how the plans for Unrivaled continue to develop. But it’s certainly notable to see this already built to a level where an executive from an established sports organization is coming on board as commissioner. And we’ll see what Lawler does with this new league.
[Image of Lawler from a 2019 interview she did with SportsPro on YouTube]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.