Forgive Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart for not gushing over the success of Unrivaled, the three-on-three women\u2019s basketball league they cofounded. It enjoyed hopeful ratings and positive buzz during its inaugural year. Players raved. Great, right? Well, that was winter, a lifetime ago in pro sports. It\u2019s now early July. The UConn women hoop legends are deep into the WNBA season, where they are freshly minted All-Star starters.<\/p>\n
They are also staunch realists. \u201cWe finished that first season,\u201d Stewart says, \u201cand we were like, \u2018OK, what are we going to do to get better?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Victory means little without momentum, of course. If you\u2019re a woman athlete, you encounter a different set of standards. To get the rights and treatment that are yawn-inducing givens in the NBA, you do more. Nobody will do it for you.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen\u2019s sports, specifically, is so brand- and business-oriented,\u201d Collier says. \u201cYou do have to build your own personal brand, and through that, you have to be your own business almost.\u201d Being a women\u2019s basketball player means you\u2019re \u201calways having to fight for more,\u201d adds Stewart, a two-time WNBA most valuable player \u2014 you fight for yourself, for others. You fight for a bigger platform, more attention.<\/p>\n
Creating a league and playing in it? Well, it\u2019s a glorious accomplishment. And it represents the vexing world Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart are determined to improve.<\/p>\n