Unrivaled First Impressions

The first games of Unrivaled took place over the weekend.

The new Unrivaled 3x3 Basketball League kicked off its inaugural season this weekend. Four games were played between all six teams in the league. Unrivaled brought fast action and some exciting finishes.

The first game was particularly exciting, featuring multiple current and former Seattle Storm players. It was Team Mist versus Team Lunar Owls. The Mist featured the reformation of the Storm’s former Dynamic Duo of Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. The chemistry those two shared during their championship runs in 2018 and 2020 was on full display as the Mist took an early 18-10 lead late in the first period. However, the Lunar Owls rallied to cut the Mist’s lead to just one at the end of the quarter at 20-19.

The Owls feature current Minnesota Lynx teammates, Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams, and they picked up where they left off this past WNBA season. Collier finished with a team-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Williams added 14 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high four assists.

Thanks to Jewell Loyd’s elite scoring the Mist led 73-67 entering the final quarter. Loyd scored a game-high 30 points on nearly 50% FG shooting. That included four three-pointers and one feisty block against her current teammate, Skylar Diggins-Smith.

Diggins-Smith ultimately got the last laugh. She scored 10 of her 21 points in the 4th quarter including back-to-back three-pointers that clinched the victory for the Lunar Owls 84-80.

In the second game, Team Vinyl beat Team Rose 79-73. It was Rhyne Time all game long as Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 33 points on 53% FG shooting that included six made three-pointers. Dearica Hamby provided a strong low-post presence as she finished with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds for Vinyl.

To Team Rose’s credit, they trailed by 17 points late in the third quarter (63-46) and rallied to cut their deficit to just two points in the final period (75-73). Rose was led by Kahleah Copper’s 24 points. Chelsea Gray flirted with a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and six assists including a couple of highlight passes she’s known for. Angel Reese also provided a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The only game that wasn’t competitive was between the Laces and Phantom. I was excited to see the former Oregon Ducks, Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, team up together again. But they both struggled with their offensive efficiency. The former Ducks combined to shoot 10-31 FG (32%). The Laces dominated the Phantom wire-to-wire to win their game 86-48. The Laces used a balanced attack as all five players scored in double figures.

The team was led by Kayla McBride who tallied 28 points and drilled seven three-pointers from beyond the arc. Alyssa Thomas caused matchup problems for the Phantom all game long. She was too fast for Brittney Griner and too strong for Katie Lou Samuelson. Thomas finished 18 points and eight rebounds. Tiffany Hayes nearly had a triple-double for the Laces with 14 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.

The last game of the weekend featured the Lunar Owls against the Rose. Napheesa Collier had another dominant performance with 31 points and six rebounds as she led the Owls to a 79-70 win. Allisha Gray was also red-hot scoring 21 points on 60% FG shooting and adding nine rebounds. Skylar Diggins-Smith didn’t have as much production but scored the game-winner on a free throw shot.

Initial Takeaways

• It’s great to see many of the top WNBA players playing during the winter months. While fans have been able to watch some of their favorites play overseas in past years, they are often at inconvenient times or require special subscriptions to watch. Having these games on standard cable or streaming on Max gives more American fans easier access to watching their favorite players beyond just the summer WNBA season.

• The new rules make for an exciting product. The 4th quarter rule (+11 points from the higher score at the end of the 3rd period) guarantees every game will end on a “game-winner”. It also gives teams more incentive to step up their defense as the Lunar Owls did in outscoring the Mist 17-7 in the 4th quarter to come back and win the game. Beyond the 4th quarter rule, I also like that players only have one free throw attempt that can be worth one, two, or even three points. That speeds the game up but also emphasizes the importance of making your free throws. Especially, when one can be worth three points. The smaller full court (72 feet) is fun as it allows for full-court play that I find more enjoyable compared to half court but isn’t the full 94 feet that could wind the players or lead to too many easy fast break layups without defense if certain rosters are more post-heavy.

• Unrivaled will be a good opportunity for players to showcase their talent, especially if they are Unrestricted Free Agents or seeking a new team through a trade. Jewell Loyd and Satou Sabally are looking for new teams this upcoming WNBA season. Loyd specifically shined as she demonstrated her full arsenal of offensive moves and three-point shooting. Loyd reminded GMs and Coaches that she is (arguably) the most skilled Shooting Guard in the league. There aren’t many players in the WNBA that can create their own shot like Loyd can.

• The league’s (Unrivaled) emphasis on promoting its amenities, gyms, saunas, workout equipment, professional chefs, etc. is not an accident. As the WNBA becomes more popular the players’ expectations are increasing. Several teams have upped their game to provide the players with all the best practice facilities, food, and more. Teams like the New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, and Phoenix Mercury are attracting more free agents because they currently offer more to players than the other teams. With Undisputed, all players will get a taste of the “luxury” life and it will (rightfully) become more difficult for those teams that aren’t willing to invest in their players to keep their stars.

Overall, it’ll be fun to watch Unrivaled and see what happens in the first season. It’s incredibly important that they have great TV partners in Turner Sports/TNT and the MAX streaming service. As we’ve always talked about, the WNBA/women’s basketball is an amazing sport. It just needs more media and exposure.

If you watched Unrivaled over the weekend. Let me know your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far!

Notes:
Thanks for all the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage.
Photo Credits to Unrivaled.

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