The march to the Unrivaled playoffs is heating up, and so is the league’s social media game. If I’ve learned anything by watching Unrivaled for the last couple of weeks, it’s that Unrivaled is much more than just a basketball league.
Beyond the on-court product, the league has showcased its joy and success in the technologically advanced stadium, fan activations and the fact that all the players get to live in South Florida together. Unrivaled has a 2020 WNBA bubble feel without the misery and restrictions—only the fun.
Since Unrivaled has a lot more to recommend than just basketball, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite social content from this season.
Many players have had the opportunity to hang out with their college basketball teammates, like the Notre Dame crew of Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young and Arike Ogunbowale, who won a championship in the 2018-2019 Irish season.
marina, jackie, & I linked & ate cookies while we watched @ndwbb work Stanford last night lol & it really took me back to us kicking it in our aparments on a random night in college almost a decade ago. crazy how time flies fr 🥹 @JackieYoung3 @mmabrey1
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) February 7, 2025
Speaking of Mabrey, she’s become the resident chef in Unrivaled, for which former WNBA teammate Dijonai Carrington is especially thankful.
@marinamabrey3 Cookin’ with Mabrey 👩🍳♥️ Thanks Tiniii! #fyp #fypシ #fypage #cookinwmabrey #wnba #macandcheese @_klc215
♬ original sound - Marina Mabrey
We’ve seen friendships getting stronger, new hobbies emerge and a foe turned into a friend?
That seems to be the case for Rickea Jackson and Brittney Griner. Fans assumed they had beef after Jackson was ejected from the Sparks’ last home game of the 2024 season after this altercation.
But they seemed to have mastered friendship.
@keajackson5 We ateeeeee 😝😝😝😝 @BG
♬ original sound - Bri
We may never know how they became friends again, but they have certainly put their differences aside, prompting fans to make this hilarious meme:
It seems like every player in the Unrivaled league has had a viral, meme-able moment. Kahleah Copper’s came after telling us what her motivation really is.
Another honorable mention is Rhyne Howard’s all too real moment.
Maybe the most shocking part of Unrivaled has been Young yelling, or to most of us, just speaking.
Finally, I have to finish this article on the most awesome note. Here is the first ever Unrivaled dunk, featuring who else but Griner:
Don’t skip over the next slide, where she immediately followed that play with a 3-pointer.
The most amazing thing about Unrivaled has been how they prioritize making content for its players and help them build their brand. We’ve been able to see fan favorites come out of their shell, like Young and have made new favorites like Stephanie Dolson. This work on Unrivaled’s part will certainly grow women’s basketball by attracting more eyes to the game year-round.
Looking ahead, the Lunar Owls and the “TikTok” Rose have already made the playoffs and I’m excited to see who snags the last two playoff spots. Just in case we need them, here are the rules for the tiebreaker.