Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s pro basketball league, made its debut Friday. Co-founded by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, the six-team league runs two months before a March 17 championship game.
In the first game, Collier’s Lunar Owls took down Stewart’s Mist, staging a fourth-quarter comeback that was sealed by two 3’s by Skylar Diggins-Smith. Then Arike Ogunbowale’s Vinyl won Game 2 over Angel Reese’s Rose.
There are two more games tomorrow: Phantom vs. Laces at 2 p.m. ET and Lunar Owls vs. Rose at 3 p.m.
Game 1 takeaways: Lunar Owls 84, Mist 80
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Skylar Diggins-Smith sinks rainbow 3 to win first Unrivaled game
Skylar Diggins-Smith struts after sinking a 3-pointer to hand the Lunar Owls the first win in Unrivaled history.
Unrivaled’s inaugural game delivered — living up to and maybe even surpassing the hype. The fast-paced play might have been tiring for players — who are playing on a condensed full court, not a halfcourt like FIBA 3×3 — but was plenty entertaining for spectators.
It’s so much more difficult to defend as a team in 3-on-3, and this style lends itself to multiple players going on heaters throughout the game. In Game 1, that was Jewell Loyd and Rickea Jackson for the Mist and Allisha Gray, Napheesa Collier and Skylar-Diggins Smith for the Lunar Owls. There were few lulls in action, with the number of free throws cut down and, available for fans watching from home, coaches mic’d up during timeouts.
The league couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the first game, with Diggins-Smith’s big fourth quarter and game-winner helping the Lunar Owls come from behind to win 84-80. I was (and still am) intrigued to see how the “winning score” format worked in practice; it allowed a memorable end to Game 1 and, mimicking the essence of street-ball, will guarantee each game ends on a game-winning shot — a clever invention to further differentiate Unrivaled from the WNBA, NBA and other leagues. — ESPN’s Alexa Philippou
Unrivaled set out to produce a fast-paced, intense style of basketball. They got that in Game 1.
In the Lunar Owls’ win, transition play was practically unstoppable. Shots went up within the first five seconds of the 18-second shot clock. And if a defender was beat, it was almost a guaranteed bucket.
The fourth quarter produced the most intense basketball of the game. The speed picked up even more, the contact got more physical.
The Mist needed to score 11 points to win, but the Lunar Owls weren’t far behind, needing 17. Skylar Diggins-Smith hit the game-winning 3 for the Lunar Owls. Her teammates stormed the court, and she shouted out a “Hooty hoo” before exiting the floor. — ESPN’s Kendra Andrews
Game 2 takeaways: Vinyl 79, Rose 73
Game 2 felt like more of a slog (and more physical) compared to Game 1. But it still offered big individual performances — 33 points from Rhyne Howard, 24 from Kahleah Copper and 21 from Chelsea Gray — as well as an exciting ending. Rose erased a double-digit deficit to come within two before Vinyl pulled away for the 79-73 victory courtesy of a Dearica Hamby layup.
Some things I’ll be watching moving forward: How does each of the six teams develop its team identity over the course of the season as players get acclimated to their teammates and to this unique format of 3-on-3? Will we see more differentiated play styles as the winter progresses? And will we continue to see a lot of iso play, or will teams share the ball more as chemistry develops?
Based on the environment in Miami and how spectators consumed it elsewhere, Day One of Unrivaled was a resounding success. All eyes will be on what Day Two has in store. — Alexa Philippou
Unrivaled’s opening night might prove as impactful off the court as on it: As WNBA free agency looms, Miami has become the go-to location for player pitches. The players themselves have acted as team proxies through training camp and the preseason, buying coffees for pending free agents, selling them on their respective teams and painting a picture of what it could be like to team up in the W.
Opening night was littered with WNBA team executives, including Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclans and assistant general manager Jazmine Thomas, Phoenix Mercury’s Nate Tibbetts and Nick U’Ren, and Seattle Storm assistant coach Pokey Chatman. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike was also in attendance. Multiple players have likened being at Unrivaled to being a part of Team USA or in the WNBA bubble, where women from all different teams are put into tight quarters and can one, learn from each other, but two try and get them to team up.
Satou Sabally, who announced she has played her last game in Dallas, said multiple players have bought her cups of coffee, and Breanna Stewart told her she would look good in New York seafoam. I’m curious to see if the time spent at Unrivaled really will impact free agency and where some of these players land next season. — Kendra Andrews
