MINNEAPOLIS -- The new Unrivaled women's basketball 3-on-3 league will have its games broadcast on TNT and its sports platforms, it was announced Wednesday.
The multiyear partnership will have more than 45 games aired from the inaugural season that begins in January. Matchups will be shown three nights a week with twice-weekly games on TNT on Mondays and Fridays. Games that are played on Saturday will be shown on truTV.
Games begin Jan. 17 and will be played in Miami.
The league features 30 of the top women's basketball players across six teams and was co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
"I mean, to be able to have a network like that that supports us, especially in Year 1, I think is just a huge testament to women's basketball right now and how much it's growing," Collier told The Associated Press at shootaround before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday.
In addition to Stewart, Collier, the league also will feature Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Dearica Hamby, Kayla McBride, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Allisha Gray, Natasha Cloud, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Rickea Jackson, Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin, DiJonai Carrington and Tiffany Hayes.
The league was also having discussions with ESPN, Amazon, ION and the CW.
TNT will have a studio show at least one of the two nights that it airs games.
"Being on TNT, you know, for two of the three nights is really important, not just to help grow this league, but also to the women who play in it," said former Turner president David Levy, who is the co-founder and co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences and helped secure the media rights deal.
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said being on TV was received really well by the players.
"I think there's a lot of nostalgia that goes along with this for the athletes," Bazzell said. "We have an obligation with whichever partner it is that it's someone they're proud of and I think that first and foremost they're really proud of this partnership. I've gotten tons of texts that our athletes are pumped up."
Salaries for the new league will be in the six figures. Compensation was key for players, many of whom have spent their offseason overseas supplementing their WNBA incomes.
The average WNBA base salary is about $130,000, with the top stars able to earn more than $500,000 through salary, marketing agreements, an in-season tournament and bonuses. Many of the players also will have an equity stake in the league.
The league will run for eight weeks with the 30 players divided into six teams. The squads will play two games a week with the contests taking place on a court about two-thirds the size of a WNBA one. The teams will stay the same throughout the season.