On Friday, Jan. 17, the 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league “Unrivaled” debuted, a startup founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

Collier is 2-0 with the Lunar Owls and Stewart put up a 17-point double-double on Monday, Jan. 20, for the Mist. 

The season will last until March 17 with games played mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays with two games a night. 

The league was started for multiple reasons, mainly for equity opportunities for players participating to make a salary while playing domestically. As the sport continues to grow, WNBA stars frequently play travel ball in 5-on-5 leagues during the offseason. Nearly every player will make more than $100,000 and there’s over $8-million in the salary pool. 

This alternative for WNBA players to compete during the season break has opened lanes for many stars to show how they’ve improved, and Kentucky’s own Rhyne Howard has done just that. 

Howard, a member of the Vinyl, led her team to a 79-73 win over Rose on Jan. 17, which featured star rookie Angel Reese. Howard finished the game with a team-high 33 points, making more than half of her shots and draining six 3-pointers. She also hit key free-throws to seal the game. 

She followed that up with a game-winning shot on Monday, Jan. 20, to secure an 84-71 win for the Vinyl. She finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. 

Due to Howard’s heroics, the Vinyl are one of three undefeated teams after the first week of Unrivaled action, joining the Laces and the Owls. Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston and Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale have also helped the Vinyls’ success thus far. 

The Vinyl will take the court next against the Laces on Friday, Jan. 24, facing off against Lynx guard Kayla McBride and the Aces’ Jackie Young. The game is set to tip off at 8:15 p.m. and will air live on TNT.