Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women's professional basketball league, made its debut on Friday. The six-team league, co-founded by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, is two months away from the March 17 championship game.
In Game 1, Collier's Moonlight Owls defeated Stewart's Mists, mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter with two 3-pointers from Skylar Diggins-Smith. Arike Ogunbowale's Vinyl then defeated Angel Reese's Rose to win the second game.
There are two more games tomorrow: Phantom vs. Laces at 2 p.m. ET and Lunar Owls vs. Rose at 3 p.m.
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Skylar Diggins-Smith sinks Rainbow 3 to win first unrivaled game
Skylar Diggins-Smith held her head high after draining a 3-pointer to give the Lunar Owls their first win in Unparalleled franchise history.
Unrivaled's first game delivers - living up to expectations and maybe even beating the hype. The fast-paced game can be tiring for the players - they play in compact full-court games rather than half-court games like FIBA 3x3 - but it's fun for the spectators.
It's much harder to defend as a team in a 3-on-3 game, and this style lends itself to multiple players being stuck throughout the game. In game one, Jewell Loyd and Ricky Jackson of the Misty, Alyssa Gray, Nafessa Collier and Skylar Diggins-Smith of the Lunar Owls . There were fewer pauses in the game, fewer free throws were taken, and coaches turned on their microphones during timeouts as fans watched at home.
The league couldn't have asked for a better ending to Game 1, as Diggins-Smith's outstanding performance and game-winning shot in the fourth quarter helped the Lunar Owls come back to win 84-80. I was (and still am) curious to see how the "winning score" format worked in practice; it made for a memorable ending to the first game, and emulated the essence of streetball that will guarantee every game All ended with a game-winning shot — a clever contrivance that further distinguished Unrivaled from the WNBA, NBA and other leagues. -- ESPN’s Alexa Philippou
"Unbeatable" is committed to creating a fast-paced and intense basketball style. They did that in the first game.
The transition game was nearly unstoppable in the Lunar Owls' victory. Within the first five seconds of the 18-second shot clock, the number of shots began to increase. If a defender is defeated, it's almost a sure win.
The fourth quarter saw the most intense basketball game of the game. The speed increased and the physical contact became more frequent.
The Misty needed 11 points to win, and the Lunar Owls were not far behind, scoring only 17 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith hit the game-winning 3-pointer for the Lunar Owls. Her teammates stormed the court and she yelled "Hooty hoo" before leaving the court. -- Kendra Andrews, ESPN
The second game felt like a much more grueling game (and more physically demanding) than the first. But it still provided strong individual performances — Rhyne Howard scored 33 points, Kahleah Copper scored 24 points, Chelsea Gray scored 21 points — and led to Exciting ending. Rose erased a double-digit deficit to pull within two points before Vinier opened the lead at 79-73 on a layup by Dilica Hamby.
Some things I'll be looking at next: How do the six teams develop their identity throughout the season as players get acclimated to their teammates and this unique 3-on-3 format? As winter approaches, will we see more differentiated play styles? Will we continue to see a lot of isolation play, or will the team share the ball more and run more plays as chemistry develops?
Based on the environment in Miami and the way audiences consume it elsewhere, Day 1 of "The Unparalleled" was a huge success. All eyes will be on what's to come the next day. ——Alexa Phillip
Unrivaled's opening night could be just as impactful off the court as on it: As WNBA free agency approaches, Miami has become the go-to place for players to pitch. The players themselves served as agents for their teams during training camp and the preseason, buying coffee for soon-to-be free agents, selling coffee within their respective teams, and portraying teams in the West.
Opening night was packed with WNBA team executives, including Dallas Wings coach Chris Cochrans and assistant general manager Jazmine Thomas, the Phoenix Mercury's Nate Tibbetts and Nick Uhlen, and Seattle Storm assistant coach Porky Chatman. WNBPA Chairman Nneka Ogwumike also attended the meeting. Multiple players likened the experience at Unrivaled to being part of Team USA or the WNBA bubble, where women from different teams are placed in small spaces where one can learn from each other but two people try to bring them together .
Sato Sabally announced she was playing her final game in Dallas, saying many players bought her coffee and Brianna Stewart told her she would look good in New York seafoam. I'm curious to see if time spent in Unrivaled will actually impact free agency and where some of those players will go next season. —Kendra Andrews