There were plenty of storylines to follow on Opening Day of Unrivaled's second season. Here's what stood out in each contest.
MIAMI, FL — If you’ve missed watching some of the best WNBA players in the league, or if you simply have understandable angst around CBA negotiations, Unrivaled action could serve as a nice palette cleanser for you.
Season 2 of Unrivaled tipped off on Monday with all eight teams (up from six last season) in action spread throughout the day. There were plenty of storylines to follow in this one: the debuts of rising stars (Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga) and established ones alike (Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell), Rose BC kicking off their title defense, the Lunar Owls moving forward in Napheesa Collier’s absence, and much more.
In case you’re new to the league, or just need a refresher heading into the new season, here are a few basic notes and rules for Unrivaled:
Unrivaled is a 3x3 format with a 49.2-by-72-foot condensed full court
Quarters are seven minutes long, with an 18-second shot clock
In the final quarter, the game is decided by a target score (adding 11 points to the leading team’s score through three quarters). If you enjoy the Elam ending, this league is for you!
When shooting fouls are called, only one free throw will be taken. An and-one will account for one point, a two-shot foul will account for two points, and a three-shot foul will account for three points
I had the pleasure of being on-site for Opening Day, so below you’ll find my big takeaway and a few other things that stood out to me in each contest.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
Mist BC defeats Hive BC, 72-56 (Breanna Stewart with game-winning jumper)
Big takeaway: Mist BC may finish with the league’s best defense
My excitement level around Mist BC went beyond their basic star power — Breanna Stewart and former Lunar Owl Allisha Gray is enough of a sell — and specifically to their defensive potential. With Stewart, Gray, this year’s WNBA co-DPOY Alanna Smith and Most Improved Player Veronica Burton on the roster, virtually any combination of those four projected to spell trouble for opposing offenses.
Sure enough, Hive BC was held to 56 points while having as many assists as turnovers (8). Kelsey Mitchell, one of the most lethal scorers on the planet, was held to 11 points on lowly shooting splits: 3-of-9 inside the arc, 1-of-4 from deep. Mist BC’s combination of late and peel switching — I got to ask head coach Zach O’Brien about this after the game — as well as their comfortable collapsing into the paint to bother drives had Hive BC’s offense in the mud for most of the game.
Other thoughts
Speaking of drives, the early work from Burton (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) seemed to set the table for Gray (21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) to slam the door shut. Both impressed with their ability to win with craft, physicality, or a combination of both.
As Mist BC works out their lineup combinations, I will be keeping eyes on their offensive process. It felt drive-heavy early, post-heavy in the second quarter (wasn’t a fan of how stagnant the offense got), pick-and-roll-heavy in the third (much more success), then a blend in the final frame. Finding that blend is what takes them from elite defense with potential offensively to a well-oiled machine on both ends.
To the post-up bit in the second quarter, I understood the logic of trying to post up Saniya Rivers, but it just didn’t go all that well. She was up for the challenge, pushing out catches or worming around for deflections. She had a nice block on Smith late in the first quarter. In general, I loved the versatility Rivers displayed on that end.
If you’re looking for an overall bright spot for Hive BC, look no further than Monique Billings. She led the team in points (16) and rebounds (10), with her drives (and a couple of inverted pick-and-rolls) serving as pleasant surprises.
Laces BC defeats Vinyl BC, 58-42 (Jackie Young with game-winning jumper)
Big takeaway: Controlling tempo (and half-court execution) is key
I found myself impressed by both of these defenses. You won’t find (m)any better perimeter tandems than Laces wings Jackie Young and Brittney Sykes in this format, and that’s before getting into the yeoman’s work Alyssa Thomas has been putting together for over a decade. The ever-versatile Rhyne Howard spearheads an active, physical defense for Vinyl BC; that physicality was a consistent talking point following this game.
With both teams bogging each other down — 100 combined points is nearly unheard of — we didn’t see the same free-flowing action you’d expect in Unrivaled. It put a spotlight on the half-court execution and shotmaking, where timely buckets from Sykes (19 points) and Young (15 points) ultimately sealed the deal.
Other thoughts
Sykes ultimately led all scorers with her 19, but one of the highlights of the night was her consistent back-and-forth with Erica Wheeler (12 points off the bench), particularly in the second half. I wasn’t expecting a pull-up battle to break out between the two, but I must say I enjoyed it. The postgame presser banter was also a joy; Wheeler yelling “Man, you hit that 3 in my face” with Sykes responding “Yeah, you were talking s***” got a good laugh out of me.
It was a tale of two halves for Thomas offensively; five of her six shot attempts came in the second half. Considering how the WNBA Finals ended, with Thomas searching for ways to impose her will as a scorer, I was expecting more early aggression just off principle. She turned it on when it mattered, and they ultimately won the game.
It wasn’t the night Rhyne Howard wanted offensively; she’s capable of more than 10 points on 15 shots, even with the context of Sykes largely drawing that assignment. Beyond the shot total, I was intrigued by the shot profile. Of her 15 shots, 10 of them came from behind the arc. I was pleased by her growth as a driver and foul-drawer during the most recent WNBA season; I wish we got to see more of that in the opener here, but I’m sure she’ll bounce back.
The Brittney Griner integration really intrigues me with this group. The Vinyl flew in transition last season; Griner gives them a different look in the half-court, but it certainly isn’t the cleanest pace fit. We’ll see how this develops as the season goes on.
Rose BC defeats Lunar Owls BC, 80-60 (Chelsea Gray with game-winning jumper)
Big takeaway: There just isn’t a good answer for Chelsea Gray
Gray torched everyone and everything to close out the inaugural Unrivaled season, leading Rose BC to a championship and earning MVP honors in the process. It didn’t take long for her to prove she still wears the crown. Her 35-point, 8-assist outing was a loud reminder of the conundrum she poses to defenses.
Pull-ups, inside and beyond the arc, consistently flummoxed whoever defended her. She sprinkled in enough drives to keep defenders honest. She diced up the Lunar Owls in pick-and-roll situations all night with her usual passing flair; she was a few missed layups and fouls away from double-digit assists. It may not be 35 & 8 every night, but the overall command of the game shouldn’t go anywhere.
Other thoughts
While Gray ultimately stole the show, Azura Stevens (19 points, 10 rebounds) really started the party for Rose BC. She scored the first eight points of the game, and ultimately ended the first quarter with 10 points and 6 rebounds (3 offensive). Her ability to shoot and drive from the perimeter should really pop in this format; they’ll need more from her this season in light of their roster changes.
Before the season, Rose BC head coach Nola Henry hinted at ramping up the pressure defensively this year. Newcomer Sug Sutton (7 points, 4 assists, 5 steals) slots nicely into that context. Her full-court pressure and overall aggression popped all night — much to the chagrin of Marina Mabrey.
Speaking of Mabrey (21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists), her decision-making is going to be under more of a microscope for however long Skylar Diggins is unavailable. Her shot profile was stark: 7-of-13 inside the arc, 1-of-12 from 3 including some pull-ups near half-court. I enjoyed her third quarter heater — she really got activated by the Sutton interaction — but she’ll need to find the right blend of shot-hunting and playmaking.
First, I hope Aaliyah Edwards is okay after taking a scary fall during the third quarter, exiting the game (under her own power, at least!) and ultimately not returning. Beyond that, I was pretty impressed with her drives offensively. And as well as Gray played, there were a few possessions where Edwards was able to be disruptive on the perimeter when the two were matched up against each other. I hope she’s able to build on this performance soon.
Breeze BC defeats Phantom BC, 69-62 (Rickea Jackson with game-winning free throw)
Big takeaway: Paige Bueckers is going to feast in this format
As one of the best and most popular players in the league, it made sense for the nightcap to be Paige Bueckers’ debut for Breeze BC. Luckily for everyone, Bueckers didn’t disappoint.
She led all scorers with 24 points (6-of-13 on 2s, 1-of-2 from deep), grabbed 5 boards, dished out 6 assists, blocked a couple of shots and wasn’t afraid to put her body on the line for charge attempts. Beyond the numbers, her comfort level on both ends immediately stood out.
Her screen usage, both with pick-and-rolls and off-ball actions, was tough for Phantom BC to deal with all night. It made me chuckle watching them toss multiple coverages at Bueckers as the game went on: drop coverage, to at-the-level coverage, to outright trapping to get the ball out of her hands. Kudos to head coach Noelle Quinn for moving her around the board.
Defensively, she was active and a pretty consistent communicator out there. Watching her get amped after key stops during the second half was a blast.
Other thoughts
I’m excited for Year 2 of the Rickea Jackson Experience. She’s a walking mismatch in this format: too big for guards to deal with, too skilled for bigs to hang with her on the perimeter. It was fun watching her tap into that bag in this one. My favorite sequence from her: a ball screen initiated by her that ended with a no-look dime, followed by a blocked shot on the other end. Stacking two-way plays like that is what will allow her to level up.
We’ll wait another game for the Dominique Malonga dunk, but I’ll enjoy the process of her settling in on both ends in the meantime. A 15-point, 14-rebound performance is nothing to sneeze at, though you obviously want the turnovers (5) to come down. Malonga doing early work and actively high-pointing these boards was a highlight for me; it’s only a matter of time before the drives and (short) jumpers start hitting with consistency.
Aliyah Boston (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block) gave everyone a nice reminder of how difficult she is to deal with offensively. Her screening and seals pop in a 5-on-5 setting; they especially pop in a 3-on-3 setting. The Breeze BC bigs had their hands full. Honestly, her and Kiki Iriafan (6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists off the bench) being on the same team really isn’t fair from an I-Will-Seal-You standpoint.
I am still reeling from Phantom BC guard Tiffany Hayes (20 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks) getting a massive block on Cam Brink (4 points, 6 rebounds, 5 fouls in her Unrivaled/Breeze BC debut) to help force a shot clock violation. In general, Hayes’ mix of drives, pull-ups and overall fearlessness really shines in this format.
Category: General Sports
