While the women’s basketball universe will have one eye on the college basketball scene come January, the other of those two eyes will be on South Florida.
That will be where the inaugural Unrivaled League will tip off. The league has a deal to air games on TNT and is slated to begin the first month of the new year.
Recently, its draft was held where its 34 announced players will be part of one of six teams. Two spots have been deemed by Unrivaled as “wildcard.”
Without further ado, here is our analysis of the six teams that will be part of the new 3×3 offseason league.
Laces Basketball Club
It is only fitting that Laces has “Aces” in its name. Given three of the participants that will represent Laces have history with the Las Vegas Aces. Those three are Kelsey Plum, Kate Martin and former Ace Kayla McBride.
Alyssa Thomas will also be part of the team and Laces will have no shortage of personality and swagger between Courtney Williams and Stefanie Dolson.
Andrew Wade will be the head coach of what looks to be a guard-heavy team.
Lunar Owls Basketball Club
The Lunar Owls are one of the two teams that has a wildcard spot and is currently slated to begin the Unrivaled league with only five participants. One should see names on this team rather familiar to either Phoenix Mercury or Washington Mystics fans.
Shakira Austin, of course, was a 2022 draft pick of the Mystics and is still with the team. Natasha Cloud also has a history with the team – including her stellar playoff performance in 2023 vs. the New York Liberty that earned her a standing ovation from the Barclays Center crowd.
The names that should ring bells to Mystics fans are Cloud and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Speaking of playoff experience, Napheesa Collier who led the Minnesota Lynx to a berth in last season’s WNBA Finals will also participate alongside the Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray.
Coaching this team will be DJ Sackman.
Mist Basketball Club
If one watches plenty of Unrivaled when play commences in January, one is unlikely to miss the Mist.
Breanna Stewart is the focal point of this team – and one of the focal points of the entire league. She will be playing alongside one of her former Seattle Storm teammates in Jewell Loyd as well as current Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot.
This team has a good mix of youth and experience. Stewie, Sloot and the Gold Mamba bring the experience and youth will be served well between DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards and Rickea Jackson.
Phil Handy will handle coaching duties.
Phantom Basketball Club
Phantom is the other team other than Lunar Owls that is slated to begin the Unrivaled league with only five players. Adam Harrington will be calling the plays for this team.
The makeup of this team reads more like a traditional starting five with a pair of guards in Jackie Young and Marina Mabrey, a pair of forwards in Satou Sabally and Tiffany Hayes and a pure five in Brittney Griner.
Rose Basketball Club
Angel Reese is part of the roster for Rose. Many women’s basketball fans were hoping that Reese would be reunited with her former Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon for the Unrivaled stint.
Instead, she will be part of a team where Nola Henry will be calling plays, gathering huddles and giving locker room speeches.
Rose will be one of the more veteran-centric assemblings at Unrivaled between Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes and Azurá Stevens. In addition, Lexie Hull will give a hint of youth to this team.
Also…Miami and the 305 Barbie are a match made in heaven.
Vinyl Basketball Club
This is the team that will be coached by Coach Spoon – and she has plenty of noteworthy talent on this roster.
When one sees Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard, one’s mind automatically has to go to how they were part of the four-woman roster (alongside Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith) that brought home a bronze medal from this year’s Olympics in Paris.
That team also includes Aliyah Boston in the interior and Arike Ogunbowale in the backcourt. Rounding out Vinyl is Jordin Canada and Hamby’s Los Angeles Sparks teammate Rae Burrell.
