Souhan: Napheesa Collier and Clare Duwelius make Unrivaled a personal project

MEDLEY, FLA. – In 2019, Clare Duwelius was the assistant general manager for the Lynx when they selected UConn forward Napheesa Collier with the sixth pick in the WNBA draft.

Duwelius had played high school basketball in Iowa, then for Wayne State in Nebraska, before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Southwest Minnesota State. Collier was not projected by draft analysts to become a star.

Six years later, Collier has become one of the world’s three best players, had a baby, won two Olympic golds, come within a bad call or two of winning a WNBA title and started a basketball league.

And Duwelius helps run it.

Collier is a co-founder of the Unrivaled league, along with Breanna Stewart. Duwelius is the general manager and executive vice president of the three-on-three startup based in Miami.

Phee and Clare D are making history.

Duwelius, known in the Lynx organization for her versatility and work ethic, has her hands full. The league has about 25 full-time employees, and it wants to put on a good show while maximizing comfort for its players, many of whom would have dealt with the uncertainties and stress of playing overseas if the league didn’t exist.

“After our epic run with the Lynx last season, I was approached about joining Unrivaled,” Duwelius said. “Phee and I worked closely together for all those years, and she could vouch for what I could bring to the table.

“I loved the idea of having my hands in a lot of different areas. The startup idea was exciting to me. This also reminded me of my early years with the Lynx, when I did so much stuff that was player-centric, and I missed that connectivity with the players. I wanted to be back in that same space, answering their questions and making this the gold standard in terms of player experience.”

The league is based in one sprawling building, featuring a game court that seats 850 fans and feels like a high-tech TV studio, plus practice facilities and the equivalent of a spa and day care center. A sign in the lobby reads: “Stroller parking.”

The six-team league secured a six-year, $100 million media deal with Warner Bros. Discovery and reached a peak of 364,000 viewers on opening night. The league’s ratings might have been much higher had Caitlin Clark agreed to play.

That opening night viewership marked the largest for a women’s basketball game on TNT and did not include viewership on the streaming service Max. The league this week signed a licensing deal with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (of which Collier and Stewart are vice presidents) that will allow Unrivaled to sell merchandise showcasing player names, images and likenesses.

“Being in a well-established league for 10 years, we all knew the rules,” Duwelius said. “One of the best things about being here is that we’re all constantly brainstorming, and dealing with unintended consequences of our decisions, and trying to problem-solve. What we’re all about here is being a players’ league and making sure they enjoy this experience and that this is a league they can be proud of.”

Collier and Stewart are the league’s best players, and Lynx standouts Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams have had strong seasons.

The play is wide open and frenetic, as the games are played on a slightly smaller version of a full court. The shot clock is 18 seconds, encouraging a fast pace of play. The team that is leading after three quarters has 11 points added to its total to determine the number of points required to win the game, ensuring that every game ends with a winning shot.

Collier lengthened her ever-expanding résumé by winning the league’s midseason one-on-one tourney, and her team, the Lunar Owls, is in first place.

“Basketballwise, I always had a lot of faith in myself, so I knew I could achieve those things,” Collier said. “But building a league? I never would have thought that was possible. When the opportunity arises, you have to take advantage of it, and I’m so happy we did it.”

Duwelius starred at Dowling Catholic in Des Moines before Caitlin Clark did. She joined the Lynx as basketball operations coordinator after the team had won its first two titles. She had front-row seats and backroom duties while women’s basketball became a growth stock.

The Unrivaled regular season runs through March 10, with playoffs scheduled for March 16 and 17.

“This is the hottest sport, across the board,” Duwelius said. “It’s really cool to be a part of it in real time and to see the shift and evolution of the sport. Years ago in the WNBA, we felt like we were in a constant fight, and we were happy to take on that fight because we knew our worth and we knew our sport was deserving of so much more.

“To see that flip on its head and take a 180-degree spin has been super rewarding. And the most exciting thing is that it’s not going anywhere. We have people’s eyeballs and ears, and interest, because everyone can see and feel how great this is.”