1 Word to Describe Every Unrivaled Team as New Women's League Tips Off
Who doesn't love a game of word association?
I sure do, and the lead-up to the inaugural season of Unrivaled provides quite the opportunity to tap into that bag.
It's hard not to be excited about each of the six teams. We have legitimate superstars, budding All-Stars, exciting prospects and quality, gap-filling role players. I'm amped to observe the different lineup combinations these teams will toss out; overall, I'm ready to see what this unique three-on-three experience will bring.
Before things tip off Friday, here's a singular word to describe each team.
Laces BC: Experienced
1 of 6
Head Coach: Andrew Wade
Roster: Jackie Young, Kayla McBride, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Alyssa Thomas, Stefanie Dolson
While this isn't a traditional 3x3 setup—the dimensions of the court and length of the shot clock are different, for example—it's worth noting that there is 3x3 experience on the Laces roster.
Jackie Young and Stefanie Dolson won gold with Team USA in 2020; Tiffany Hayes competed for Azerbaijan during the Paris Olympics. You could almost add Alyssa Thomas to the list; she was slated to compete on Team USA's World Championship team in 2012 but ultimately had to withdraw.
It'll be interesting to see how that previous experience will help them acclimate to the league. The skill sets here should mesh well; Thomas and Dolson are effective high-post hubs, which should accentuate the off-ball juice of Young, Hayes, Martin and the sharpshooting McBride.
Lunar Owls BC: Fiery
2 of 6
Head Coach: DJ Sackmann
Roster: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Courtney Williams, Allisha Gray, Napheesa Collier, Shakira Austin, Cameron Brink (OUT; slated to make Unrivaled debut in 2026)
I would've gone with #CrashOutGang—word to Austin—but there appears to be mixed answers on if a hashtag should count as a singular term.
But if the clip above is any indication, the Lunar Owls roster possesses an otherworldly amount of you-don't-want-none.
Diggins-Smith can give you buckets, play in-your-jersey defense and won't hesitate to let you know you have her...uh...messed up. The volume may be a little lower, but similar arguments can be made for Collier and Gray. Williams and Austin haven't met a moment too big for them—or anyone that'll make them back down in the heat of battle.
Do not be surprised if they win a bunch of close games during the season.
Mist BC: Skillful
3 of 6
Head Coach: Phil Handy
Roster: Courtney Vandersloot, Jewell Loyd, DiJonai Carrington, Rickea Jackson, Breanna Stewart, Aaliyah Edwards
Is it a hot take to say that the winner of the midseason one-on-one tournament—whenever all the details are announced—will come from Mist BC? I sure hope not, because that's probably where I'm at.
Stewart has been a cheat code for the entirety of her basketball life; players her size aren't supposed to be that comfortable with the ball in their hands. Loyd is an incredibly gifted scorer with post-like footwork to boot.
Jackson feels like the next frontier of big-skilled-smooth forwards; there's a reason coach Phil Handy mentioned Kevin Durant's name when asked to provide an NBA comp for her. And while she isn't a prolific scorer yet, I'll continue to bang the "Edwards can really drive" drum.
Even stepping away from scoring, you can't sleep on the passing precision and ball-handling of Vandersloot. The steals are loud, but there's a technical mastery to Carrington's defense that puts her in position to cause the chaos she does—and she's a growing offensive player in her own right.
Phantom BC: Shapeshifting
4 of 6
Head Coach: Adam Harrington
Roster: Natasha Cloud, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson, Brittney Griner
There's a level of versatility present on all of these rosters, but man, there's something about Phantom BC.
Ionescu and Mabrey can shoot the leather off the ball and create their own looks; they might cause even more chaos when they're screening for bigger players. Pairing these two with Sabally seems unfair; putting Griner on this roster feels like overkill—for the opposition.
Cloud arguably had the most diverse profile of defensive matchups in the WNBA last season. With switching likely to be the primary coverage we see in this 3x3 context, she should slot right in.
And then there's Samuelson who, when healthy, should be able to fill a multitude of roles alongside virtually any lineup combination you can think of.
This is a fun group.
Rose BC: Multifaceted
5 of 6
Head Coach: Nola Henry
Roster: Chelsea Gray, Brittney Sykes, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azurá Stevens
Similar to the Phantom, the potential role-reversing with Rose BC is pretty darn exciting.
Lost in Reese's historic rookie season was her usage as a high post hub in Chicago's half-court offense. Stevens is a willing passer in her own right, though her ability to shoot (and handle) from the perimeter is what really puts strain on defenses.
Having either of those bigs invert the floor so Gray, Copper or Sykes can bully their matchups from 17 feet and in sounds like a good time. For the fans, at least. And I'd keep an eye on what some of the drives from Hull could look like in this setting.
Vinyl BC: Electric
6 of 6
Head Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Roster: Jordin Canada, Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, Rae Burrell, Dearica Hamby, Aliyah Boston
If Ogunbowale isn't the best pure scorer in the league, she's at least the most entertaining scorer when she has it going.
Howard has an effortless aesthetic to her bucket-getting; it's Paul George-esque—IN A GOOD WAY!—for basketball fans who aren't familiar.
There are maybe a handful of players who can get end-to-end as quickly as Canada can. Burrell is tough to track in transition, as a finisher or a willing bomber from deep. Both Boston and especially Hamby have real grab-and-go ability after misses.
Make sure you're glued to your televisions whenever Vinyl BC gets out in transition.
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