Popular women’s basketball league Unrivaled opened up play January 5 to astounding success. Continuing the achievements of their inaugural season and the subsequent Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season, the second edition of the league will set further streaming, attendance and sales records. Amidst the entertainment, numerous players of Unrivaled, along with members of the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA), still continue with negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Despite the background noise, the players of Unrivaled continue pushing the game forward.
“I love that you get to see the players’ personalities a little bit more and how they interact with each other. That makes it different from the [WNBA] because they do not have to be as serious. Paige Bueckers is my favorite player, of course. I have been watching that girl since she was a freshman, and I love her game. The players have fun with each other and are actually friends outside of the sport, so it’s really enjoyable to watch,” sophomore Sophia Smith said.
Unlike the usual style of three-on-three, which takes place on a half-court, the full-court structure allows for the display of each athlete’s playmaking chops. In their inaugural season, founding members, forwards Naphesa Collier (24) and Breanna Stewart (30), secured impressive investors and media deals that possessed the ability to establish the league as an alternative to overseas off-season play. In previous years, WNBA athletes flew abroad to compete for leagues in China, Russia, Spain and other countries. Without the talent in the U.S., attention on these athletes ceased to exist, further hindering the growth of the WNBA and women’s sports as a whole.
Changes to Unrivaled this season included the addition of two new basketball clubs (BC) and a player development pool. The concept of an untimed third quarter will carry over from last season, continuing the anticipation of a game-winner each match. Hive BC and Breeze BC, headlined by guards Kelsey Mitchell (0) and Paige Bueckers (5) respectively, added to the anticipation for the season opener. Hive BC faced Stewart’s Mist BC in the first matchup of the season. As expected, Stewart hit the two-point jump shot for the first game-winner of the season. Vinyl BC and Laces BC filled the second spot in the afternoon opening slate. Laces, headlined by WNBA champion guard Jackie Young (0) and the all-time triple-double leader forward Alyssa Thomas (25), blew past Vinyl BC and their all-stars, forward Dearica Hamby (5) and guard Rhyne Howard (10).
With co-founder Collier out for the remainder of the season, Unrivaled will crown a different Most Valuable Player (MVP) and 1v1 champion. 2022 WNBA Finals MVP, guard Chelsea Gray (12), remains one of the front-runners for Unrivaled MVP. Averaging 32 points per game (PPG) through her first three games and strongly defending Rose BC’s title from the previous season, Gray shows no sign of slowing down despite outside rhetoric surrounding her age and ability. As far as the 1v1 tournament, which takes place in the middle of the season, Bueckers currently possesses the strongest case for the win. Various social media snippets highlight Bueckers showcasing her flashy handles and automatic midrange.
“Napheesa Collier is just solid and tough. Physical aggression, knows the game and is always composed. She shows up, does her job and impacts the game on both ends without needing attention; just a player you trust in real moments. She plays with control, defends, scores when needed, makes the right reads and doesn’t disappear when the game gets tight. The kind of player coaches rely on and opponents respect, [she] needs more hype, needless to say. I just started watching Unrivaled, and the first game I saw was Friday, January 16, when the Laces played the Phantom. The game was close and intense the whole way, very physical, and every possession mattered,” sophomore Mehreen Karmali said.
The Unrivaled season adds an additional fun aspect to the 2026 season: an exhibition game in Philadelphia. January 30, the city will host Breeze, Phantom, Rose and Lunar Owls in two exciting matchups. A free-throw challenge and exclusive merchandise sales will also take place to kick off the first-ever Unrivaled tour. The league continues to move the needle in the space of women’s sports through innovative efforts to further engage the fans and non-fans of the game. Watch parties, merchandise giveaways and opportunities to win tickets add to the experience for fans of the relatively new league.
