Teresa Weatherspoon, Phil Handy headline Unrivaled’s inaugural list of coaches

Teresa Weatherspoon’s return to coaching will come with the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league this January.

Friday morning, Weatherspoon, former Lakers assistant Phil Handy, WNBA assistants Nola Henry and Andrew Wade, NBA/WNBA skills coach DJ Sackmann and former Nets assistant Adam Harrington were named the league’s inaugural set of coaches. The league — co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier — offers players an alternative to competing overseas.

The eight-week season tips off on January 17 in Miami.

The league will be headlined by stars like the Sky’s Angel Reese, Storm guard Jewell Loyd, Mercury guard Kahleah Copper and center Brittney Griner. Thus far, 32 of the league’s 36 players have been announced.

Earlier this month Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell shared a post on X emphasizing the league’s intention to prioritize player development. Bazzell, a long-time NBA/WNBA skills coach and trainer, said he will work directly with the six head coaches to develop individual plans for players to improve weaknesses during the eight-week season.

Weatherspoon, a Naismith Hall of Fame player, was fired after one season with the Sky. The team went 13-27 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Reese, the Sky’s only participating player, shared her support for Weatherspoon’s Unrivaled hiring with a post on X.

At this stage Weatherspoon does not know which players she will be coaching. Each of the six teams — the Laces, Mist, Lunar Owls, Phantom, Rose and Vinyl — will be comprised of six players. Once all 36 players are named, they will be grouped into pods based on their position. The coaches will then together build six rosters. After rosters are set, coaches will learn which team will be theirs to lead.

Unrivaled’s games will be broadcast on TNT and TruTV and streamed on HBO Max as part of their multi-year TV rights deal with TNT Sports. The deal included an investment into the league by the media company and an equity stake. Games will air on Monday, Friday and Saturday nights.

In addition to an equity stake in the league, players’ salaries will start at six figures. According to multiple reports, the average player’s salary will be in the $250,000 range. Prior to announcing its coaching staff, Unrivaled named former Lynx general manager Clare Duwelius as its GM. Micky Lawler is the league’s inaugural commissioner.