The burgeoning Unrivaled women's 3-on-3 basketball league is making significant strides, drawing impressive crowds and now expanding its postseason reach to one of New York City's premier sports venues. The decision to host the semifinals at Barclays Center underscores the league's growing prominence and strategic vision, aiming to capitalize on heightened fan enthusiasm and a successful regular season. This development reflects a pivotal moment for Unrivaled, showcasing its capacity to attract substantial viewership and generate significant revenue within the competitive landscape of professional sports.
Unrivaled Postseason Semifinals Set for Brooklyn Spectacle
In a thrilling announcement for basketball enthusiasts, the Unrivaled women's 3-on-3 league confirmed on a recent Friday, February 13th, 2026, that its highly anticipated postseason semifinals on March 2nd would descend upon the illustrious Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This iconic venue, typically home to the WNBA's New York Liberty and the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, will now host the rising stars of women's 3-on-3 basketball. This strategic relocation follows a monumental event on January 30th, where an unprecedented 21,490 fans flocked to Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena for a pair of Unrivaled games. This record-setting attendance for a regular-season women's professional basketball event generated an impressive $2 million in combined ticket, merchandise, and sponsorship revenue, as widely reported by various media outlets.
Alex Bazzell, CEO of Unrivaled, shared insights with Front Office Sports, revealing that discussions with Barclays Center had been ongoing. The opportunity to host the semifinals materialized when the Nets were away, coinciding with the immense excitement generated by the Philadelphia success. Bazzell emphasized that this was an opportunity the league simply could not forgo. The Barclays Center, with a basketball seating capacity of 17,732, is well-suited to accommodate the league's growing fan base, especially considering the New York Liberty's average attendance of 16,323 in 2025, which ranked third in the WNBA.
The Unrivaled regular season is slated to conclude on February 27th, with the initial playoff round scheduled for the following day in Miami, the traditional host city for all other league games. The victorious semifinalists who compete in Brooklyn will then advance to the championship game, returning to Miami on March 4th. The triumphant team will be rewarded with a substantial share of a $600,000 prize pool. The league boasts an impressive roster of WNBA luminaries across its eight teams, including the prolific scoring leader Marina Mabrey, averaging 26.8 points per game, and the astute assists leader Paige Bueckers, with 6.7 per game. Chelsea Gray, a standout guard for Rose Basketball Club, was honored as the Finals MVP when her squad clinched the inaugural Unrivaled championship last March.
This bold move to Brooklyn signifies a pivotal moment for Unrivaled, showcasing the league's ambitious expansion and its commitment to bringing top-tier women's basketball to larger, more prominent stages. The enthusiasm generated by record attendance and the strategic partnership with a major venue like Barclays Center underscore a promising future for women's professional basketball.