New Year, New You, New Teams!
A new year sparks new and exciting opportunities for us all. Whether you are still holding strong to your New Year's resolutions, or you are a part of the vast majority and have fallen back into your old routines, there are still opportunities to do – or rather support something new. This year there are several new leagues and teams to watch and cheer for, many of which are women’s teams.
Unrivaled Women's Basketball League
Before you're labeled as a bandwagon fan, jump in and start supporting any of the six teams in the Unrivaled Basketball League. The all-new women’s basketball league began yesterday. Co-founded by two WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the new 3-on-3 league will be played in a gorgeous 35 million dollar venue in Miami Florida. Its 36-player pool is split into six teams. Some notable headliners to keep an eye out for include:
Angel Reese (Rose Basketball Club), Sabrina Ionescu (Phantom Basketball Club), Aliyah Boston (Vinyl Basketball Club), Jordin Canada (Vinyl Basketball Club), Aaliyah Edwards (Mist Basketball Club), Satou Sabally (Phantom Basketball Club), Kahleah Copper (Rose Basketball Club), and Chelsea Gray (Rose Basketball Club).
These teams will play for nine weeks, and the top four from the regular season will face off in a championship tournament. Overall, these women will be winners no matter what. With Unrivaled offering a minimum of a 6 figure salary per season, it has put forward the highest average salary in U.S. women's professional sports history! You can tune in to watch on TNT and truTV.
Breanna Stewart (Mist) dribbling around Napheesa Collier (Owls) (AP Photo)
Northern Super League
For the sports fans up north, there is some spectacular news. Launching this April, Canada’s first women’s professional soccer league will be in full force with six teams: Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, Montreal Roses FC, Ottawa Rapids FC, AFC Toronto, and Vancouver Rise FC. Co-founded by Diana Matheson, a former player for Canada’s national women's soccer team, her dream of a women’s league for her home country began in 2021 with the motivation for further development of the sport closer to home. With this ambition in mind, rules were set in place limiting each team to seven international players. This makes it truly an opportunity to develop soccer for Canadians. The future is bright for that national team…and just imagine how much maple syrup will be needed in those locker rooms!
While the official schedule has yet to come out, the NSL has announced that each club will host 12 to 13 home games. You can secure a placement for season tickets now through their website for $50!
TGL (Tech Golf League)
Together, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have co-founded a new league perfect for both video game and golf lovers. This new game of golf is going to be played via a simulator 24 times bigger than the normal simulator screen and the game will be played 35 yards out with mic'd up players making the game all the more interesting—personally I hope there will be some friendly banter involved. The matches consist of two sessions: 9 holes of three-versus-three alternate shot, and 6 holes of head-to-head. The TGL comprises six teams: Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. Each team boasts four top-ranked players from the PGA, ensuring a good battle for each match. Originally intended to start in 2024, the TGL had its first match on January 7th between the New York Golf Club vs. The Bay Golf Club. Tune into ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ to watch what in Tiger Woods’ words is “...a fresh, modern, and fast-paced twist to the game we all love."
A look into the newest game of golf, thanks to TGL (Getty Images)
WNBA Expansion Teams
Along with all of the new leagues announced, there is an exciting expansion within the WNBA. They have announced not one, not two, but three new teams. Coming from the Bay area, The Golden State Valkyries will start playing this 2025 season. In addition to their standout collegiate players, the Valkyries have assembled a roster with top-ranked prospects from the league, which include Kate Martin (previously with the Las Vegas Aces), Illiana Rupert (previously with the Atlanta Dream), and Carla Leite (previously with the Dallas Wings).
Another win for our sporty friends up north, the Toronto Tempos based in (you guessed it) Toronto will debut their WNBA team in 2026. The Portland Franchise will also begin playing in 2026. The recent blossoming popularity that we’ve seen within the WNBA makes no doubt that these new additions of highly skilled women will bring in a stronger fan base for not just their cities but also their countries.
If your goals for this year are to be more selfless perhaps by supporting others, creating more friends, or finding new hobbies, these new leagues and teams are an easy way to check off those resolution boxes. With each new team comes more exciting opportunities for athletes, cities, and YOU! Don’t forget…
New Year, New Teams, New You!