Serena Williams, a tennis icon, has made an unapologetic investment in women’s sport, marking another significant achievement on her post-retirement to-do list. Through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has joined a lineup of high-profile investors in a new round of funding for Unrivalled, a new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA all-stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The league’s Series B round of recent financing brings its valuation to a staggering $340 million—a figure that reflects rising momentum for women’s sports businesses.
Player-Led, Player-Owned
What makes Unrivalled different is its revolutionary business model. Rather than adhering to the standard franchise model, the league operates out of a singular central hub in Miami, and every one of the 36 players, who were poached from the upper ranks of the WNBA, is a shareholder within the league itself. They also receive median incomes of well over $200,000, well in excess of the WNBA minimum salary, which lingers at approximately $64,000 for lower-level players.
The concept is elegant but effective: respect women athletes as the celebrities they are, pay them accordingly, and provide them with an ownership stake in the success of the product.
A Promising First Season
Unrivalled began its inaugural season in January 2025 and has already made a big splash. Through its first several months, the league brought in over $27 million in revenue from media rights, brand partnerships, and merchandise sales. Best of all, it almost broke even in its first season, which is rare for new sports properties.
Serena Joins Star-Studded Investor Line-Up
Serena Williams’s investment is a huge stamp of credibility for Unrivalled’s strategy and brand. She is among an expanding list of headline-grabbing investors who include NBA shooting guard Trae Young, Orlando Magic’s Wagner brothers, sports exec Sam Rapoport, and University of Maryland President Darryll Pines.
The new capital will help further develop Unrivalled’s infrastructure, develop its athlete experience, and further build its reach—all while keeping in place its fundamental commitment to equity, athlete ownership, and community engagement.
Williams is well-versed in sports investment. In March, she became part of the ownership group for the newly launched Toronto Tempo, the 14th WNBA franchise and the first outside the United States. Her tech entrepreneur husband, Alexis Ohanian, has also attracted attention this year by taking a 10% stake in Chelsea FC Women, marking the growing interest among high-net-worth investors in supporting top women’s teams.
Beyond Sport: A Change in Attitude
Unrivalled is not just a basketball league; it’s a larger cultural movement. Women’s sports have long existed on the periphery — underappreciated and largely invisible to the media. What Unrivalled shows is that, given the right platform and resources, women’s sports can gain fans, generate revenue, and grow sustainably.
The way we frame women’s sport investment has also undergone a shocking shift. Williams said the goal is to “build something where women are at the centre — and are winning.” Her new business is further along that path.
The Road Ahead
Unrivalled already launched Year Two plans last month, with the year beginning in January 2026 and with more programming and more media coverage. The league will also seek to grow through grassroots events and social media outreach programmes, riding on a solid foundation established during its first season.
With business energy, celebrity influence, and a bold business strategy in its corner, Unrivalled appears set to stir up not just women’s basketball but the whole sports investment industry. And with Serena Williams firmly in its corner, the league’s future appears far from ordinary.
