Unrivaled, the new 3×3 women’s basketball league, kicked off its inaugural season with two thrilling games on Friday evening.
Here are three takeaways from a memorable night.
Unrivaled is a slam dunk
Let’s give Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart their flowers. The league is a hit.
The first two games were incredibly fast-paced, leading to thrilling action. Each team is loaded with WNBA stars, and they appeared in midseason form on Friday.
Collier’s Lunar Owls and Stewart’s Mist combined in the first game to complete 55.1 percent of their field goals in the Lunar Owls’ 84-80 win.
The second game featured 13 combined three-pointers between the Rose and Vinyl, including six from guard Rhyne Howard, who led all scorers with 33 points in a 79-73 Vinyl win.
The decision to implement an Elam Ending — familiar to anyone who’s watched The Basketball Tournament or NBA All-Star Games from 2020-23 — was shrewd. It builds drama, guaranteeing every game ends on a successful basket.
But it wouldn’t matter if the players were ambivalent. However, it’s clear from the first two games that this isn’t an exhibition. The defensive energy was palpable. Players chased after loose balls, Mist guard Jewell Loyd had an outstanding block on a drive from Lunar Owls guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Rose forward Angel Reese and Vinyl forward Aliyah Boston were ensnared in an excellent frontcourt battle.
