Unrivaled roster packed with LGBTQ+ stars
Unrivaled has completed its 48-player roster for 2027, with some of women’s basketball’s biggest openly LGBTQ+ stars taking part.
Some of women’s basketball’s biggest LGBTQ+ stars will compete together again after Unrivaled completed its 48-player roster for the 2027 season.
For UK viewers unfamiliar with the competition, Unrivaled is a professional women’s basketball league in the United States. It was founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier and launched in January 2025 as a competition players could take part in during the WNBA off-season.
The WNBA is the main professional women’s basketball league in the US, meaning Unrivaled attracts many of the same internationally recognised players.
There is one major difference in how the game looks. Instead of traditional five-a-side basketball, Unrivaled uses three players from each club on a compressed full-size court, with a basket at each end. It is also different from the Olympic version of three-on-three basketball, which is played on a half court with one basket.
For 2027, 48 players will be split between eight clubs, with the season running from January through March.
The final four roster places were confirmed on 5 October, when Kiki Rice, Aneesah Morrow, Satou Sabally and Sydney Taylor completed the player pool.
LGBTQ+ representation is particularly strong. Publicly out stars on the 2027 roster include Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Natasha Cloud, Gabby Williams and Jackie Young, alongside further queer players from across the WNBA.
Several are among the biggest names in the sport. Stewart is a multiple WNBA champion and helped create Unrivaled, while Bueckers has quickly become one of the most recognisable young players in American basketball.
The players have not yet all been assigned to their eight Unrivaled clubs, so fans still have another major roster announcement to come.
What is already certain is that when Unrivaled returns in January, openly LGBTQ+ athletes will once again be highly visible across one of the newest major competitions in women’s professional basketball.
Image credits:Getty
