unrivaled athletes to get on your radar
Yes, I love women’s sports, but for me it’s not about player stats and game strategy, instead, it’s about the narratives, branding, and sponsorships. With 86% of Fortune 500 brands who haven’t invested in women’s sports looking to show up in the next 5 years, I’m guessing there’s a decent amount of my network that are going to be getting a brief in this space soon. So let’s get some new faces on your radar for when you start hunting for athletes that fit your brand and storylines.
As Unrivaled enters the final weekend of it’s inaugural season, I’ll kick us off with 5 Unrivaled players that I think you should consider working with.
Courtney Williams
Despite being a Liberty fan, I love Courtney Williams. Known for being a sweetheart who genuinely cares about connecting with the fans, while also being authentically herself, she’s fun to watch no matter what she’s doing. She’s been a league underdog and journeywoman (with her dad celebrating on the sidelines at every game) for almost a decade now, who broke through during the WNBA Finals last year. Unrivaled aired a charming segment of her grocery shopping in Miami that I thought was a great show of her personality, unfortunately I can’t seem to find it, but if you can please share!
Fit for brands that want to align themselves with…authenticity, positivity, heads down work, and the underdog
Brands worked with: Woxer
Social Presence: 123K Instagram followers
Marina Mabrey
Mabrey is a tough competitor; she doesn’t shy away from on-court conflict, known for going from enemies to friends as soon as she’s on your team. Despite being out with injury for much of the Unrivaled season, she hasn’t let that stop her from being a star of it’s content. She debuted “Cooking with Mabrey” (she’s…okay) playing into the joke by letting her teammates to teach her how to use spices (and rhythm). She’s had the unfortunate situation of getting her WNBA trade request denied, which has made her a topic of conversation that may continue into the season. She is also the most successful of the 3 Mabrey sisters, all of whom were elite college basketball players.
Fit for brands that celebrate…cooking newbies, learning new things, enemies to friends storylines, sisterhood rivalries, New Jersey
Brands worked with: Under Armour, Alo
Social Presence: 128K Instagram Followers, 44.7K TikTok Followers
Aaliyah Edwards
The only reason Aaliyah Edwards is on my list is because she’s gotten drowned out by the rest of her draft class, but going into her second year in the W, she’s proven she’s set to be a star for her basketball skills and ability to have fun in front of a camera. In Unrivaled, she made her statement by getting to the finals of their 1-on-1 tournament (taking out some league vets along the way…) and she’s already got an Olympics under her belt (which is more than most of the other 2024 draftees can say). A true Gen Z-er, she’s always on TikTok roping league veterans into her videos, and getting into the Wicked trend
Fit for brands that want to align themselve with…GenZ, generational connections, vegetarians, unadulterated fun
Brands worked with: Adidas, PlayStation, Nasoya
Social Presence: 130K Instagram Followers, 2.4M TikTok Likes
Dijonai Carrington
Like Aaliyah, Dijonai already has the attention of some big brands, but I think she has potential to become one of the stars of the league. Not only was she the W’s Most Improved Player of 2024, she has also gotten attention for her relationship with off-again, on-again girlfriend NaLyssa Smith, which they enjoy sharing with fans. In this upcoming W season, the two will play together for the first time since college. Watching her, you get the sense she’s never entertained the idea of shrinking herself, which you can’t help but admire and be jealous of at the same time.
Fit for brands that celebrate…flawless makeup, high fashion, power couples, spices (see Marina)
Brands worked with: SKIMS, Instagram
Social Presence: 410K Instagram Followers, 149.1K TikTok Followers
Natasha Cloud