Sports Illustrated unveiled its 2026 Swimsuit Issue preview this week, featuring WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Sophie Cunningham among the 12 models and athletes photographed along Florida's Gulf Coast.
Minnesota Lynx forward Collier and Indiana Fever guard Cunningham joined sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in Fort Myers and Captiva Island, Florida for the annual beach photo shoot.
"We show what it is to sacrifice, what is it to work hard, [and] to achieve your dream," Collier said during the SI Swimsuit Issue shoot.
The Minnesota captain was seen using a beach wheelchair while recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
The roster also included models Christen Goff, Katie Austin, Jena Sims, Jasmine Sanders, Ellie Thumann, Gabi Moura, and Olandria. Photographers shot at multiple Florida locations, including Pine Island, Sanibel Island, and Cayo Costa State Park.
Collier and Cunningham join a growing list of women's sports athletes featured in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Rugby star Ilona Maher, tennis champion Naomi Osaka, and gymnastics icon Simone Biles all appeared in previous issues. The athletes' inclusion challenges traditional SI Swimsuit Issue stereotypes.
"Being a rookie for SI Swimsuit is such an honor," Cunningham told the magazine.
"It's a completely different kind of confidence than I'm used to, and I hope every person gets the opportunity to feel the way I did that day at least once in their lives."
How to Buy the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Fort Myers marks the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue's third destination announcement.
Additional talent and locations will be revealed before the magazine hits newsstands — both print and digital — this May.
The Minnesota Lynx tipped off WNBA free agency by extending a core qualifying offer to captain Napheesa Collier, securing exclusive negotiating rights with its franchise cornerstone.
The core designation — similar to the franchise tag in other leagues — gives Minnesota control over Collier's free agency. It also comes with a one-year supermax framework, projected to reach $1.4 million under the new WNBA CBA.
Collier remains the centerpiece of the Lynx. The forward delivered an MVP-level season in 2025, averaging 22.9 points and 7.3 rebounds before injuries cut her postseason short. Rather than risk losing its top player in a historic free agency class, Minnesota locked in as soon as the window opened.
The league's free agency period officially began earlier this week, with teams issuing qualifying offers and core designations before contract negotiations begin.
Minnesota is now confronting roster decision beyond Collier's future. Multiple rotation players are now up for grabs — including standouts Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams — increasing the offseason pressure.
While Collier's injury timeline remains unclear, Minnesota made its position clear by shoring up her rights before other teams were able to make their moves.
The 2026 offseason marks a turning point for the league. The new CBA raises salaries and expands player movement, making core designations more valuable for teams trying to retain All-Star talent.
Now, the focus shifts to negotiations. Minnesota holds leverage with Collier, but how the Lynx build around its star via WNBA free agency will undoubtedly shape how the team approaches its title odds this season.
The 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament has arrived, with the competition tipping off a fully refreshed bracket on Wednesday night — with $300,000 on the line.
With 2025 champion Napheesa Collier sidelined with injury, the 2026 tournament is led by No. 1 seeds Kelsey Mitchell (Hive BC), Paige Bueckers (Breeze BC), Allisha Gray (Mist BC), and Breanna Stewart (Mist BC).
Last year's runner-up Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls) is also back in the mix for the three-day tournament, with Unrivaled rookies Bueckers, Sonia Citron (Hive BC), Saniya Rivers (Vinyl BC), and Dominique Malonga (Breeze BC) gearing up to make their 1v1 debuts.
Originally a 32-player field divided into four eight-player pods, the offseason league dropped a bracket update reflecting recent injuries late Tuesday night, with previously announced competitors Skylar Diggins (Lunar Owls), Jordin Canada (Laces BC), Kahleah Copper (Rose BC), and Rickea Jackson (Breeze BC) out for the now-28-player tournament.
As a result, four players — Rivers as well as Phantom BC's Kelsey Plum, Hive BC's Natisha Hiedeman, and Mist BC's Allisha Gray — received byes through to Friday's second round.
All games in the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament will run a maximum of 10 minutes or until a player reaches 11 points, with a seven-second shot clock and make-it, take-it possession.
Each knockout round will set the scene for Saturday's best-of-three final series, with the champion taking home $200,000, while the runner-up receives $50,000 and semifinalists cash in with $25,000 each.
Fans can also get in on the action by filling out their own 1v1 brackets.
How to watch the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament
The 1v1 tournament opens with all first round matchups on Wednesday, with the competition tipping off live at 7 PM ET on truTV and Max.
Unrivaled made a historic splash on Friday, setting a new pro women's basketball regular-season attendance record as 21,490 fans packed the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia for the 3×3 league's first-ever tour stop.
"It was unbelievable. You could feel the love tonight," said Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier about the record-breaking crowd. "It's just a testament to what we're building here, how much people believe in it."
Friday's Unrivaled tally — which also shattered a venue record for the highest attendance of any event — blew through women's basketball's prior record, set in the 2024 WNBA season when a 20,711-strong crowd watched the Indiana Fever top the Washington Mystics inside DC's Capital One Arena.
The reward for Friday's crowd was a larger-than-life performance, as Lunar Owls guard Marina Mabrey dropped a league-record 47 points — complete with 10 three-pointers — in Friday's 85-75 win over Rose BC.
"I think the city is ready for women's professional sports," Philadelphia product and Rose BC guard Kahleah Copper said following the doubleheader, with the City of Brotherly Love gearing up to launch a WNBA expansion team in 2030. "I'm excited that one, it's here, and two, that I'm a part of it."
Last week's success in Philly has Unrivaled already eyeing more tour stops for the offseason league's 2027 season, with this year's action finishing up on the venture's 3x3 home court in Miami.
"We're going to continue to make the sports world proud by the product we put out," Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell told reporters.
The WNBA and the WNBPA are literally coming to the table this week, with both parties meeting in-person on Monday as stalled CBA talks continue to delay offseason movement prior to the 2026 season.
WNBPA executive committee members Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks) will attend Monday's CBA negotiations in New York alongside WNBA, team, and union leadership.
"I think we'll learn a lot from this meeting," WNBPA first VP Plum said from the Unrivaled tour stop in Philadelphia on Friday. "I think everyone understands what's at stake, timeline-wise."
The two parties reportedly remain far apart on wedge topics like revenue sharing, three months after the previous CBA expired.
According to sources, Monday will mark the first full CBA meeting between the WNBPA and WNBA in over a month, with offseason transactions currently left in limbo while other league operations continue under a status quo mechanism.
"At the end of the day, we're human beings. I think conversation face-to-face goes a long way," Plum continued. "To be able to sit down face-to-face and say, 'This is how I feel, this is how you feel, let's see what we can do from there.'"
"I'm just excited for the opportunity to be able to be there in-person with other players that are really invested in this," Plum added.
WNBA star Breanna Stewart took a stand during Unrivaled introductions on Sunday, using her platform to protest the recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
Before the Mist tipped off against the Vinyl, Stewart walked onto the court at Sephora Arena holding a hand-drawn sign that read "Abolish ICE," drawing national attention to the fatal incident in Minnesota.
The protest follows the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, the US citizen and ICU nurse shot and killed by US Border Patrol agents in South Minneapolis on Saturday morning. The city’s second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents this month, the ICE shooting in Minneapolis has sparked unrest across the country and beyond.
After securing the Mist’s 76-71 victory, the 3×3 league co-founder addressed the demonstration in her postgame press conference.
"Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted," Stewart told reporters.
"We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of Abolish ICE, which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence."
The sports world responds to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis
The ICE shooting prompted widespread reactions across the sports world.
The Minnesota Timberwolves postponed their Saturday game against the Golden State Warriors, citing citywide protests and safety concerns. Other athletes, including Stewart’s fellow Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier and Minnesota Lynx star Natisha Heideman, have also spoken out in support of the demonstrators.
For Stewart, the issue of immigration enforcement hits close to home. Her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a Spanish citizen navigating the US citizenship process. Stewart noted that the recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis create a climate of fear for many families.
"You see it splitting up families and dissecting communities," she continued.
"We’re working to get [Xargay’s] citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn’t matter. And I think that that's why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen. Because it doesn’t seem to be affecting the right people. It’s not helping anybody."
Federal authorities said ICE agents were conducting a "targeted operation" and claimed the victim was armed. However, local reports and bystander accounts challenge the administration’s timeline.
Unrivaled leadership is back in the hot seat, telling reporters at Monday's Season 2 tip-off that the offseason 3x3 league is open to whatever the future might bring — even if it's a formal partnership with the WNBA.
"We're not in constant dialogue about that," Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said from Miami. "But as I've made very clear, we are open to growing the ecosystem, whichever way that looks like."
"Nothing is on the table or off the table," he continued. "I'm not going to speculate what could happen down the road, but everyone knows our door is always open."
As reported prior to the 3×3 upstart's inaugural 2025 season, Unrivaled co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier had approached the WNBA about a potential equity stake — in part to further illustrate that the new venture is complementary, rather than in competition with, the WNBA — but league leadership turning down the offer, citing a possible rules violation.
Questions have since come up about Unrivaled becoming a prioritization issue for players under the WNBA's still-developing CBA, but Bazzell underlined the league's benefits as being supplemental, rather than in direct conflict with the 5x5 league.
"As long as you can look at the space through an innovative lens, anything is doable," he said. "Anything is possible."
Unrivaled is officially back, as the offseason 3×3 basketball league tips off Season 2 on Monday afternoon — packed with more teams, deeper rosters, and an expanded broadcast schedule.
The WNBA offshoot has grown from six to eight teams this year, adding Hive BC and Breeze BC to its founding lineup while also bringing in a developmental player pool to supplement absences and injuries.
Plus, each week of the regular season now features four nights of action, running games on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays through February 27th.
This year's formatting will mirror Season 1, with small-sided full-court play, targeted fourth-quarter scoring, single-shot free throws, seven-minute periods, and a shortened 18-second shot clock.
Unrivaled's popular midseason 1v1 tournament will also make its comeback next month ahead of March's newly expanded playoffs.
Unlike Season 1, the Miami-based league will hit the road on January 30th, when four teams will play in Unrivaled's first-ever "tour stop" in Philadelphia.
Napheesa Collier's injury looms over the Lunar Owls
The Lunar Owls will be without their biggest star on Monday, as Unrivaled co-founder and last year's leading scorer Napheesa Collier announced last Thursday that she'll miss all of Season 2 due to dual ankle injuries.
Collier will undergo double surgeries to fix the problem, with a four- to six-month estimated recovery time putting an additional question mark on her WNBA availability for its 2026 season.
"I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward," Collier posted to Instagram late last week.
Forward Temi Fagbenle (Golden State Valkyries) will fill Collier's Unrivaled roster spot, with the Owls also relying on guards Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) and Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun) alongside versatile forward — and last year's 1v1 tournament runner-up — Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut Sun).
Reigning Unrivaled champs Rose BC shoot for consistency
After getting hot in the 2025 postseason, Rose BC will shoot to defend their inaugural 3×3 title without two of last year's regular-season starters.
Star forward Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) did not sign with Unrivaled this year while guard Brittney Sykes (Seattle Storm) jumped ship to the Laces, with the team returning guards Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) plus forward Azurá Stevens (LA Sparks).
"A lot of us have played with each other already, so that helps, obviously we have four returners," said Copper. "Chelsea does a really good job of setting us up to be successful, so it makes it really easy."
Rose BC will also have a returning presence on the bench, as Dallas Wings assistant coach Nola Henry comes back after leading the team to a championship in her first-ever head coaching role.
Young superstars bring the 3×3 heat to Breeze BC
Newcomer Breeze BC is already bringing the heat, as the 2026 expansion team looks to transform a powder keg of young talent into a 3×3 dynamo.
Reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) will make her Unrivaled debut alongside forward Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm) and guard Aari McDonald (Indiana Fever), joining second-year stars Cameron Brink (LA Sparks), Kate Martin (Golden State Valkyries), and Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks).
"It means a lot that I get to be back here and play with someone like Paige," said Brink. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, as great of a player as she is. I think her mid-range game is really going to tear people up."
The team's lack of experience will be tempered by former Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn, as she assumes her first sideline role post-Storm.
Vinyl BC gets ready to stir the 3×3 pot
Falling one game short of the 2025 title, Vinyl BC returns to the court armed with amped up versatility and a renewed focus on crossing the finish line.
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Rae Burrell (LA Sparks), and Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks) are back on the roster, joining big-name signings Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) and Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream).
"We might crash out a couple of times," laughed rookie guard Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm). "We gonna talk some mess...we all have one goal, and that's to win."
Returning head coach Teresa Weatherspoon will also bolster the Season 1 runners-up, with the ex-Chicago Sky boss known for developing players eager to improve their 3×3 skills.
Mist BC shoots for Unrivaled redemption
One of just two teams missing the playoffs in 2025, Mist BC is gearing up for a redemption tour behind newly healthy Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart.
Stewart competed last season with limited availability before undergoing minor knee surgery, returning to the 3×3 court rested following the New York Liberty's early WNBA postseason exit.
"I can't tell you the last time where I was just not on the basketball court for a month," she said ahead of Monday's tip-off. "I was able to take a step back and feel better, and then move forward."
Stewart's leadership will come in handy this year, with the Mist rebuilding their lineup around the 31-year-old.
Five new faces are also joining the squad, including top WNBA performers Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings), and Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries).
Veterans shape Hive BC's Unrivaled debut
Hive BC will look to lean on leadership this year, as tested WNBA veterans line up beside up-and-comers to form the 2026 expansion team.
Experienced pros Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) and Monique Billings (Golden State Valkyries) make their Unrivaled debut with the Hive, balancing out rookies Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) and Saniya Rivers (Connecticut Sun).
"We're vets on this team," said Billings. "Setting an example, setting the tone, and having an enjoyable season."
"Fun is important," added Mitchell, now fully recovered from the muscle condition that saw her depart the 2025 WNBA semifinals. "If you're not enjoying it, you can't really do it if you truly want to be good at it."
Billings and Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm) are set to battle in the interior, as backcourt playmaker Natisha Hiedeman (Minnesota Lynx) gives the still-gelling Hive options behind the arc.
Revamped Phantom BC relies on top-tier signings
After finishing the 2025 season in last place, Phantom BC is looking to change things up, bringing back just two players from last year's disappointing run.
Second-year guard Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty) will try to better her team's results, with returning forward Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercrury) set to miss the start of the season with lingering concussion symptoms dating back to October's WNBA Finals.
Former Laces guard Tiffany Hayes (Golden State Valkyries) will take over Sabally's duties for now, with the starter potentially rejoining the squad later this season.
The Phantom will instead bet on flashy newcomers, combining three-point shooting specialists Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks) and Dana Evans (Las Vegas Aces) with the sharp inside game of forward Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics) as the trio make their 3×3 debuts.
"I'm just excited to be here, excited for the opportunity to get better," said Plum after opting out of the 2025 season for personal reasons. "So far my experience has been nothing short of amazing."
Laces BC's Unrivaled bounce-back hinges on health
Laces BC is betting on health in 2026, with multiple returning stars anticipating greater availability as the team looks to recover from their early 2025 playoff exit.
Key starters Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) and Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury) are coming back in top form, boosting the potential for regular-season momentum.
"Last year was kind of different for me. I was hurt most of the season," said Young. "So kind of just building, and not having to start from from zero."
The Laces could present a mismatched threat this year, adding 6-foot-2 forwards Maddy Siegrist (Dallas Wings) and Naz Hillmon (Atlanta Dream) while undersized guards Brittney Sykes (Seattle Storm) and Jordin Canada (Atlanta Dream) run the backcourt.
How to watch Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball's Season 2 tip-off
All eight Unrivaled teams will be in action as Season 2 tips off with two stacked doubleheaders on Monday.
In the opening slate, Mist BC will kick off the season against Hive BC at 1 PM ET before Vinyl BC faces off against the Laces at 2:15 PM ET.
Both opening tilts will air live on truTV.
Then in the nightcap, the Lunar Owls will aim to start the season strong against Rose BC at 8 PM ET, with the Breeze making their debut vs. Phantom BC at 9:15 PM ET.
Live coverage of both evening games will air on TNT.
As Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball gears up for Season 2, broadcast partner TNT unveiled additional 2026 coverage plans last week while the offseason league crowned its team captains across the expanded field.
Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart will captain the Lunar Owls and Mist BC, respectively, while Season 1 veterans Jackie Young (Laces BC), Kahleah Copper (Rose BC), and Dearica Hamby (Vinyl BC) will also resume their boss roles next month.
Earning first-time captain status for the 2026 campaign are three league newcomers, with Kelsey Plum helming Phantom BC while 2025 WNBA rookies Sonia Citron and Paige Bueckers lead incoming Unrivaled expansion teams Hive BC and Breeze BC, respectively.
Stocked with eight clubs and an extra night of weekly programming, TNT is doubling down on Unrivaled this winter, tapping three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker to lead the network's coverage in the hot seat.
Joining Parker will be fellow WNBA retiree and All-Star Renee Montgomery as well as host Lauren Jbara, with special appearances throughout the season by basketball legend Lisa Leslie.
Each week will now feature four nights of Unrivaled basketball, with TNT airing Friday and Monday games while truTV broadcasts the 3x3 league's action on Saturdays and Sundays.
How to watch Unrivaled Season 2
The second season of Unrivaled Basketball will tip off with all eight teams in action across a pair of doubleheaders — one in the afternoon and one in the evening — beginning at 1 PM ET on Monday, January 5th, with live coverage airing on truTV and TNT.
Months after Napheesa Collier set the WNBA ablaze with her viral exit interview criticizing league leadership, the Minnesota Lynx star said "nothing has changed" at the front office level as CBA negotiations stall.
"The conversation has been had now [and] people are seeing that changes need to be made," Collier said this week from Miami, where Unrivaled 3×3 is gearing up for its second campaign.
"I feel confident in the [union] and where we are internally with our players and the future," she continued.
In her October press conference, Collier publicly called the WNBA front office "the worst leadership in the world," putting commissioner Cathy Engelbert in the hot seat amid tense CBA negotiations with serious implications on next season's play.
The league and the WNBPA are currently sparring over revenue sharing, with diverging compensation expectations further distancing the two sides.
"Obviously, there's frustration in that both sides are trying to get what they want, but we still have that fire within us that we're willing to do what it takes," Collier said. "We're going to do whatever it takes to get what we think we deserve."
As talks drag on, Collier sees Unrivaled — the offseason 3×3 league she co-founded with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart — as fueling the players' fight.
"Us being here in December and January until March, it's a crucial time in the CBA," Collier acknowledged.
"Having us all in one place is beneficial," she explained. "To have players congregate in that way, where you can have those in-person conversations and updates like that, that does help to get things moving more quickly."