First things first, what is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a new women’s 3x3 basketball league founded by two WNBA stars, Naphessa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Its inaugural format consists of 36 players divided into six clubs, whose jerseys were just unveiled. The season will go for eight weeks and includes a mid-season one-on-one tournament for a $250,000 prize.
Uniquely, each Unrivaled player has an ownership stake in the league. Plus, each player is making more than $222,000, the highest average salaries in women’s teams sports.
The league starts tonight and Unrivaled just announced its specific rules. They will play full court basketball, though on a condensed court compared to a typical five-on-five setup. Each team will play 14 games, after which the top four teams will advance to a one-game semi-finals round. The champions of the league will be crowned on March 17 when they play the winner-take-all championship final.
How are the teams looking?
3x3 will look significantly different from a traditional five-on-five. There will need to be a little more strategy as to who is on the court at any given time, and conditioning will be especially important as the smaller court seems to be designed for a faster play style. The more versatile a player is, the more likely they’ll become stars in the league.
With that in mind, here are my current team rankings:
6. Lunar Owls Basketball Club
Players: Cameron Brink, (Los Angeles Sparks), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Seattle Storm), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Courtney Willliams (Lynx), Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics)
If Brink were healthy, it would substantially change the Lunar Owls rank. However, Brink won’t be available this season as she recovers from a torn ACL and I just can’t rank this team any higher when they’re down a key player for a whole season.
Nonetheless, this team might still have a strong upside. They have two stars in Collier and Diggins who will rack up the points alongside Gray who will be an assist machine. Additionally, Gray will have somewhat of an advantage since she already is an Olympic 3x3 gold medalist.
Austin and Williams coming off the bench will be great, but I just don’t think it’s enough to compete with the other teams while short-handed.
5. Phantom BC
Players: Natasha Cloud (Phoenix Mercury), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun), Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings), Katie Lou Samuelson (Indiana Fever)
I was going to put the Phantom at four, but it was just announced that guard Marina Mabrey sustained a right calf strain, so she’ll miss two-to-four weeks. That time frame might mean that Phantom won’t have Mabrey’s services for half the season, hence the lower ranking. If Mabrey is able to get healthy quickly, the combo of her and Ionescu from the 3-point line will be lethal.
Griner’s size will be impactful and allow her to dominate in the paint. Additionally, Sabally is an all-around threat. This team has a lot of versatility, but with one of their players out, they will need to work even harder.
As a final plus, Ionescu and Sabally did play together at Oregon and lit it up there, so I’m anticipating them to have phenomenal chemistry.
4. Vinyl BC
Players: Aaliyah Boston (Fever), Rae Burrell (Sparks), Jordin Canada (Dream), Dearica Hamby (Sparks), Rhyne Howard (Dream), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings)
This is a team of straight shooters, and they have one of the best clutch shooters in Ogunbowale. Her and Canada will be speedy shot-makers, essential for a fast-paced format. Boston’s defense will always be on lock and her ability to get to the basket will be crucial.
Hamby also just won bronze in 3x3 this summer in Paris, proving she can command the floor and be an assist and rebounding machine. Howard and Ogunbowale also have prior 3x3 experience so I’m guessing that’s the starting lineup for now.
My worry for this team is that they have some younger players, so there’s not a lot of experience. Also, they don’t have a true center, but it might not matter as much in this fast playing style.
3. Rose BC
Players: Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Aces), Lexie Hull (Fever) Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Azurá Stevens (Sparks), Brittney Skyes (Mystics)
I feel like people are sleeping on the Rose. This is the team I’m most excited to watch and not just because of the viral moments they’ve already had.
Copper and Gray are basically guaranteed starters because of their ability to push the pace. Both of them can drive to the basket and draw fouls. This will be helpful as the new rule in Unrivaled makes it so that players only have one chance to make a free throw.
The other starter will probably be Stevens, given her veteran status and the spot she just earned on the 3x3 Americup USA basketball team. However, don’t be surprised if forward Angel Reese takes that spot eventually.
Like the Vinyl, they also don’t have a true center, but I’m not sure they need it as I have full confidence in Stevens to protect the basket.
2. Mist BC
Players: DiJonai Carrington (Sun), Aaliyah Edwards (Fever), Rickea Jackson (Sparks), Jewell Loyd (Storm) Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Courtney Vandersloot (Liberty)
The Mist’s greatest strength is going to be DEFENSE. I can see the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2024, Carrington, being a huge player in Unrivaled because this style of play is right up her alley. She’s an efficient shot-maker and she was a big part of the Sun’s league-best defense in the 2024 WNBA season.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that WNBA champion Stewart is on this team and she alone can probably get the job done for the Mist. Along with Loyd, who won two championships with Stewart when both played for the Storm in 2018 and 2020, Stewart makes them an immediate contender.
I would put the Mist at 1, but they have an odd mix of experience on this roster. Half the team are solidified vets, Jackson and Edwards are going into their sophomore season and Carrington is going into her fifth year, but just became a star this past season. It’ll be interesting to see how they stagger the playing time and different units.
1. Laces BC
Players: Stephanie Dolson (Mystics), Jackie Young (Aces), Tiffany Hayes (Aces), Kate Martin (Golden State Valkyries), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Alyssa Thomas (Sun)
The Laces, or what social media is calling them, the “Aces”, because every player except two were on the Las Vegas Aces this past season. That being said, the biggest advantage this team has is chemistry. Guard Kelsey Plum, another Ace, was supposed to be a part of the team, but dropped out recently due to taking some time for herself.
Every other team won’t have an easy connection from the start like the Laces. Not only because most of them are or have been Aces, but also because Young, Dolson and Hayes already won a medal for 3x3 basketball at the Olympics. They’re clearly suited for this kind of basketball already. If that isn’t a huge advantage, I don’t know what is.
Additionally, this team has the most experienced roster in the league and also one of the most versatile, specifically in Dolson and McBride. Dolson can defend the perimeter well and can also knock down a three. The team’s balance will help it go far.
This was probably the toughest rankings I’ve ever had to compose because, looking at these teams on paper, every single one is STACKED. But there must be winners and losers, so it had to be done.
Throwing it out there now, I’m picking Copper for the one-on-one tournament.
Tune in to TNT tonight starting at 4 p.m. PT to watch the first round of games.