Napheesa Collier looks like the best player in the world, the Phantom need help, and three other observations from the early days of Unrivaled.
Unrivaled — the new professional women’s 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — got off to a hot start this past weekend, with two games on TNT on Friday night and two more on Saturday afternoon on TruTV.
Action returns on Monday night on TruTV. In the meantime, here are four things we learned about Unrivaled in its opening days.
Napheesa Collier and the Lunar Owls look incredible
Napheesa Collier may have inadvertently (or quite advertently!) founded a league that she’s perfectly suited to dominate. Fresh off the best season of her WNBA career, Collier looked like Unrivaled’s best player in the early days — and her Lunar Owls club looked like the team to beat through two games.
Collier tipped things off with a 27-point 11-rebound performance against Breanna Stewart’s Mist and followed that up with 31 points on 14-23 shooting alongside 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a win over the Rose. Collier’s chemistry with fellow Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams is already palpable, and the competitive spirit and scoring process of Skylar Diggins-Smith and Allisha Gray round out an elite squad that begins the season 2-0.
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Diggins-Smith may have been an underrated component for the Lunar Owls. The veteran guard, currently a member of the Seattle Storm, racked up two game-winners in less than 24 hours — and prompted Collier to deem her the most competitive player she’s ever played with, per the TNT broadcast.
The Phantom need some help
It’s only one game, but the Phantom couldn’t have gotten off to a much worse start to the season, falling to the Laces by 38 points on Saturday afternoon. They were shorthanded in the opener, needing to tip off without both Marina Mabrey (calf strain) and newly-signed reserve player Natisha Hiedeman (illness). The lack of depth was evident from the jump, as the Phantom fell behind by double-digits early on and never found a way to claw back into the game.
It doesn’t help that Sabrina Ionescu couldn’t find a rhythm in the opener and finished the game 6-17 from the field. Ionescu’s eary struggles are understandable; she is just a couple of months removed from surgery to treat a torn UCL in her thumb, and stated earlier in the week that while she was cleared to compete, she wasn’t at 100%.
For the Phantom to bounce back, their top players will need to improve their play — Satou Sabally, Ionescu, and Natasha Cloud will probably shoulder much of the scoring load.
Can we get some fans on the screen?
Unrivaled’s opening games were all sold out — and at hefty prices on the resale market — but the arena felt largely empty on the TV broadcast. That’s because the camera primarily faced toward the teams’ benches, where no fans were seated, giving the false appearance of a somewhat empty arena, or at least one reminiscent of the NBA and WNBA bubbles.
The lack of visible fans was pretty much the only negative thing about the viewership experience, though, which was otherwise outstanding. The Brendan Glasheen / Lisa Leslie commentating duo was great, and sideline reporter Allie LaForce masterfully took viewers in and around the arena to tell the full story of Unrivaled, including its amenities and the unique opportunities presented to players.
Watching the offseason development of young WNBA players is a blast
Unrivaled features five rookies — Kate Martin, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards, and Cameron Brink (who is recovering from an ACL tear) — and it was fun to get to see how their games have progressed since the season’s end.
Martin was able to showcase her fast-paced and versatile game, recording 12 points on 5-10 shooting and a game-high 11 rebounds in her debut. Reese showcased some extended range and the improved ability to finish over tough defenders, Jackson was her team’s second-highest scorer in her debut, recording 15 points for the Mist in the weekend’s opening game.
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
There are lots of other great players in the 2024 WNBA draft class who aren’t playing in Unrivaled; Caitlin Clark was the near-unanimous Rookie of the Year, and Kamilla Cardoso has been dominating the competition in China.
But, this offseason marks the first time that fans can watch rookies continue their development into their sophomore season, and opening weekend showed substantial flashes of promise across the board.
