![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
With six teams and 36 players, Unrivaled, the new 3v3 basketball league founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart in 2023, aims to empower female athletes during their offseason and engage in player development. With this aim to promote recognition for these athletes, the league also sets a new standard for salaries for women in professional sports.
Many WNBA players typically look for opportunities and contracts overseas during the offseason. Players earn an average salary of 200k for the 10 week season, the highest for any women’s American sports league, and all earn equity in the league; additionally, Unrivaled offers a chance to stay closer to home in the U.S.
Unrivaled also provides a stage for players to showcase their skills across broader audiences with a guarantee of nationally televised games in the U.S. For the players, this is monumental; whereas overseas, brand deals and off-the-court opportunities would have been on pause, players can now continue to advertise their image and earn sponsorships while staying within the country.
“That’ll be nice for increasing the basketball culture in America,” Varsity girls basketball captain Emily Mitnick (12) said. “I’ve heard that the WNBA is actually really supportive of the Unrivaled league, so they feed off of each other, especially since many of the players play in both leagues — especially the most popular players.”
Some of the biggest WNBA stars, like Chelsea Gray, Sabrina Ionescu and Angel Reese, opted into playing for Unrivaled; at the same time, more players previously unfamiliar to the audience like Kayla McBride and Dijonai Carrington are gaining more recognition for their play due to their joining the Unrivaled league.
“I’m excited for the whole Mist team because they’re stacked,” varsity girls basketball player Jillian Chen (9) said. “They have Jewel Lloyd, Rickea Jackson and Aliyah Edwards. From the people I’ve talked to, [Unrivaled] has been heavily anticipated. It’s gained a lot of traction online and it’s really exciting to see all these like popular players playing in this, in something outside of the WNBA.”
Unrivaled basketball implements different rules from the WNBA to keep games engaging. A 3v3 style lends to a faster pace while a smaller full court adjusts for fewer players. The game consists of three 7 minute quarters, with the fourth and final quarter ending when one of the teams reaches the target score, which is the leading team’s score plus 11.
“For traditional leagues, they mainly play 5 on 5,” varsity boys basketball player Caden Ruan (11) said. “So when you play 3 on 3, there’s a lot more spacing; you see a lot more individual highlights rather than team basketball. That’s really different compared to the normal basketball you see on TV.”
Unrivaled’s unique take on sponsorships differs from most other sports leagues, with these partnerships specifically aimed at supporting and uplifting women in sports.
Through social media support and sponsorships, Unrivaled has garnered a substantial audience for each game. Not counting streaming viewers, the league averages almost 200k viewers per night with the number jumping to 300k for their 1v1 tournament.
“It’s cool how they have certain strategic partnerships with companies that fit more with women athletes,” Emily said. “They have a Sephora room and then all the players can get glammed up before the games and then the refs wear Sephora branded t-shirts. It’s just innovative.”
Currently, the Lunar Owls hold the 1 seed as playoffs are set to take place March 16 to 17.
