New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu got a hand up on the competition despite enduring a tough loss in her Unrivaled debut.

The Liberty opted to retain this up and coming guard on their roster via camp contract before the WNBA free agency period.

Unrivaled’s inaugural season is scheduled to begin Friday in Miami. Ionescu's participation in the league adds to her remarkable 2024, which included winning a gold medal at the Olympics and securing the WNBA championship with the Liberty.

Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 professional women's basketball league comprised of 36 players separated into six teams — the Laces Basketball Club, Lunar Owls Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Phantom Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball Club.

“Yeah, it got spicy between co-founders for a little bit,” says New York Liberty center Breanna Stewart, who along with her 2024 WNBA Finals rival, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, are starting Unrivaled, a three-on-three women’s pro basketball league that tips off Friday night in South Florida.

New York's Breanna Stewart was one of a handful of players who have been given the franchise tag by their WNBA teams, meaning they can’t sign a contract directly with anyone else.

The New York Liberty will have the talent to repeat but the 2025 WNBA Draft is a key opportunity to add depth and versatility.

The Liberty are coming off the two best seasons in their history — a run that was punctuated with the franchise’s first WNBA Finals title in October. Running it back should be the plan for New York, especially considering the league is due for a reset in 2026.

Stewart has led the Liberty in scoring in each of her two seasons in Brooklyn. In 2024, she averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while helping deliver New York its first professional basketball title in 51 years.

Unrivaled Basketball, launched by a Minnesota star, is a real game-changer — and it tipped off Friday night in Florida.

Connecticut Sun held its first press conference with its new head coach, Rachid Meziane, at the Mohegan Sun on Thursday morning.

The Liberty begin their WNBA title defense in 2025. Here's how to get the best prices on tickets for every game of New York's season.