Unrivaled announced the addition of WNBA Most Improved Player Veronica Burton and rookie standout Sonia Citron on Tuesday, along with four other returning players for the 2026 season.
Unrivaled has become regarded as a development hub for players early in their careers looking to grow their game since it launched in January. And this year's MIP is looking to continue her growth.
"It's a major opportunity," Burton told ESPN. "A lot of the league's best players are competing [at Unrivaled], so any opportunity to compete against the best is where I want to be. I'm just excited to be a part of it and I'm grateful to be a part of it."
Citron, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, averaged 14.9 points per game on shooting splits of 47.0% from the field, 44.5% from three and 87.2% from the free throw line. She was named a first-time WNBA All-Star in July.
Meanwhile, in her fourth year in the WNBA, and first with the expansion franchise Golden State Valkyries, Burton unlocked a new level of her game. The guard averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 44 games, making her the first player in WNBA history to increase her averages by at least five points, two rebounds and two assists per game from one season to the next (minimum 30 games played in each season), according to the league.
Burton was a part of the silver medal USA 3x3 Women's U23 World Cup team in 2022, but Unrivaled's setup and drastic differences -- namely, playing on a condensed court intrigued her.
"The super fast pace challenges people to be aggressive on both sides of the ball, and you can't really hide out there," Burton said. "You have to be involved and engaged."
Throughout the WNBA season, she asked her Golden State teammates Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes -- who both played in Unrivaled's first season -- about their experience, which made her even more interested in joining the league.
Burton and Citron join Paige Bueckers, Saniya Rivers and Erica Wheeler as first-time Unrivaled players.
Breanna Stewart -- one of the co-founders of Unrivaled, Azura Stevens, Lexie Hull and Jackie Young were all announced as returning players on Monday, as well.