The second season of Unrivaled tipped off Monday, with all eight teams participating.
The afternoon was filled with marquee matchups, including Mist’s 72-56 win over Hive. In addition, Laces completed the comeback victory over Vinyl 58-42, and Chelsea Gray and Rose blew out Lunar Owls 80-60. In a late-night showdown, Paige Bueckers and Breeze won a close battle over Phantom, 69-62.
Ballislife highlights the special moments and top standouts from opening night of Unrivaled season two…
RELATED PREVIEWS | BREEZE BC | HIVE BC | LACES BC | LUNAR OWLS | MIST BC | PHANTOM BC | VINYL BC | ROSE BC
Paige Bueckers Makes Her Unrivaled Debut
Breeze guard Paige Bueckers made her highly anticipated debut in Unrivaled, where she led Breeze to its first win over Phantom in the team’s inaugural season.
PAIGE BUECKERS OH MY GOODNESS
pic.twitter.com/OXKF3jbdZM
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 6, 2026
Playing her first game in nearly four months, Bueckers finished the game with 24 points, five rebounds, and six assists in nearly 20 minutes of action. Nicknamed “Midrange Mommy” by studio analyst Renee Montgomery, Bueckers continuously torched the offense with mid-range shots off the pick-and-roll.
“It was really fun,” Bueckers said. “Really competitive is what we expected to be in that regard, extremely physical, but three-on-three is just a fun brand of basketball. And to see where we’re growing as a team, that’s really exciting for this to be our first game, a lot of people’s first experience here at Unrivaled. It’s just been really fun to grow with this team, to be under the new coaching staff, to meet new teammates, and to compete that way against the best women in the world.”
In 2025, Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to their first National Championship since 2016 and was subsequently drafted No.1 overall by the Dallas Wings.
Bueckers had a stellar rookie campaign, receiving Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA Second Team honors. In addition, she was named a WNBA All-Star, earning 805,471 votes.
Following her debut with Breeze, Bueckers shared her first impressions of playing in Unrivaled, a league known for its physicality and fast pace.
“First impressions are that we are all highly competitive women, and we all want to win, and we might be cool and kick it off the court, but we’re ready to tear each other apart on the court,” Bueckers said. “So, that’s the highest form of respect, and that’s the most fun way to play basketball.
“And for me, getting in the weight room this offseason, having a healthy offseason where I can grind and get better, stay in the weight room, definitely helps with this unrivaled league. How physical it is, on the ball, off the ball, offensively, defensively, being able to still get to your spots and fight through the physicality. So that has definitely helped through the offseason.”
A Miami Homecoming for Erica Wheeler
Vinyl guard Erica Wheeler has forged an inspiring professional basketball career by overcoming numerous obstacles.
After going undrafted out of Rutgers and earning a spot on a WNBA roster, she recently added another milestone to her journey: playing in front of family in her hometown of Miami.
Home sweet home for @EWeezy_For3eezy
pic.twitter.com/8oTQam1uF2
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 5, 2026
“I gotta tell everybody, when God got the hands on you, anything that’s meant for me gonna be for me,” Wheeler said. “Nobody can stand in the way of that, and I’ve just been a walking proof of that. Like I put in my work, I don’t complain. Whatever’s thrown at me, I take it on the chin, and God got his hands on me.
“More importantly, my mom is watching over me every step of the way. So what’s for me is gonna always be for me, so I’m just grateful I’m here at home. I don’t care if I play another minute; this right here was never designed in my journey, but my basketball career at 34 years old, being able to play in front of my family every night. Man, so grateful I’m in the best position right now.”
A Special Moment for Wheeler, Teresa Weatherspoon
In 2019, Wheeler made a name for herself in the Las Vegas WNBA All-Star game, becoming the first undrafted player in league history to receive WNBA All-Star MVP honors.
She additionally made an impact in her first season with the Seattle Storm, leading the team to a playoff berth in the final game of the regular season after an up-and-down year.
In her first game with Unrivaled, Wheeler led Vinyl in scoring with 12 points, made two 3-pointers, and added five rebounds and two assists in nearly 12 minutes of action.
Vinyl head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and guard Erica Wheeler shared an emotional moment postgame
Weatherspoon on Wheeler:
“The way that she lives her life, the way that she conducts herself, she’s a true example for someone who might go through the very same thing.” pic.twitter.com/Fsxbb0Adbt
— Gabby Alfveby (@gabbyalfveby) January 5, 2026
“The way that she lives her life, the way that she conducts herself, she’s a true example for someone who might go through the very same thing,” Vinyl head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “The doors were never opened, the windows shut, and she got all the nos [from WNBA teams], but she believed in herself, and look where she is now, standing strong. Like she said, hands are up on her.”
After the postgame press conference concluded, Wheeler and Weatherspoon shared a special moment, hugging each other with gratitude.
Rose BC Raises Championship Banner, Chelsea Gray Dominates
Moments before Rose’s season opener against the Lunar Owls, players from the inaugural Rose team received their championship rings as the banner was raised into the rafters.
Chelsea Gray owns this 3v3 shit man dropped 35/8/5 on 14-20FG without even trying
pic.twitter.com/EKjIs2iZzh
— Shabazz
(@ShowCaseShabazz) January 6, 2026
Although the team was missing guard Kahleah Copper due to injury, guard Chelsea Gray and forward Azurá Stevens picked up where they left off last season.
Gray, who won her fourth WNBA Championship with the Las Vegas Aces and Unrivaled Finals MVP honors last year, proved to the world she is one of the best point guards to ever play. From her no-look passes to 3-pointers and mid-range shots in transition, she’s elite.
She led Rose with an impressive 35 points, while shooting 14-for-20 from the field, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and eight assists. In the 60-60 victory, Gray sealed the game with a 3-point jumper.
“Man, it’s an honor to see the raising of the championship banner,” Gray said. “Especially, it’s the first showing something that has been really cool, where it’s built here in Florida. It’s really cool that you always remember first championship, first moment in a league, and a group was able to come together in a short span of time.”
Adding to Gray’s performance, Stevens recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds in 10 minutes of action. 6’6″, Stevens is an elite floor spacer. With a strong inside-out game, her 3-point shooting was perhaps the most impressive aspect of her performance on Monday.
Going to sleep knowing when I wake up I’m playing next to Chelsea MF Gray….
WHAT A TIMEEEEE
— Shakira Austin
(@Theylove_kira) January 6, 2026
As Rose looks to defend its title, head coach Nola Henry said the team is chasing something new, adding forward Shakira Austin and guard Sug Sutton as new additions.
“We don’t play for just one game,” Henry said. “It’s a standard…that we all believe. Regardless of the score, what’s going on, there’s a style of play that is demanding of them… I have a team full of workers & fighters… You’re going to see exactly what you saw tonight.”
Is Mist The Best Club in Unrivaled?
The new-look Mist team appears to be more competitive, especially in its season opener victory against Hive.
Stewie and the Mist start @Unrivaledwbb season two off with a DUB
pic.twitter.com/grvzoPp2NA
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 5, 2026
Only one player returned from last year’s roster—forward Breanna Stewart—who scored the game-winning basket and had 12 points and four rebounds.
Mist not only won the rebounding battle, 44-37, but they also outscored Hive in both points in the paint (42-34) and second-chance points (12-8), taking advantage of this throughout the game. Hive is an expansion team with massive talent; however, no player has prior three-on-three experience.
“It’s such a dynamic team,” Mist head coach Zach O’Brien said. “It was built with the purpose of a group that can do a little bit of everything, and an interchangeable group. So, they each have their own little superpowers within what we do, but you just love how dynamic and competitive they are; those are the two things leading the way.”
Guard Allisha Gray, who played for the Lunar Owls last season, picked up where she left off following her recent season with the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA. Leading the way with 21 points, Gray added nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. An elite scorer, Gray’s three-on-three prowess is an immense advantage for Mist.
“Playing along, Stewie [Breanna Stewart] is great,” Gray said. “She’s one of the best players in the W, very high IQ player, very smart. She reads the floor well, so when she gives me corners on what she sees on the court, I really listen and take that seriously, because she’s such a great player.”
Unrivaled will have another doubleheader on Friday, Jan. 9, starting with a championship-game rematch between Vinyl and Rose, followed by expansion teams Breeze and Hive facing off for the first time. These games will be televised on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET and 8:45 p.m. ET.
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