INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.
It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.
Watkins, who plays for USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.
Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.
“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”
Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.
“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”
Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.
As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multiday event at the league’s headquarters near Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.
“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”
Unrivaled completed its inaugural season in March and is gearing up for its second in January.