Unrivaled Power Rankings: Where Each Team Stands After Week 1
Before getting into the nitty gritty, I'd like to state the obvious: The opening slate was a success.
The game play was high-paced and exciting, even as you saw teams and players clearly trying to feel things out on the pace and shot-selection front. The Elam ending winning-score concept—the final quarter being an untimed race to a target score (plus-11 to the leading team's score after three quarters)—led to heightened stakes. Skylar Diggins-Smith calling game—and letting people know about it—was awesome.
Oh, and people engaged with the league at large.
We'll take that!
With the opening week(end) of Unrivaled in the books, it's time for updated power rankings.
Naturally, there's going to be quite a bit of movement from last week's version; having games to judge helps with this kind of thing. Who knew?
As the sample of games grows, there likely won't be massive swings from week to week. But for now, hop on the reaction train with me.
Let's dig in.
No. 6: Phantom BC (0-2)
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Head coach: Adam Harrington
Roster: Natasha Cloud (Mercury), Brittney Griner (Mercury*), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Marina Mabrey (Sun; out 2-4 weeks with calf strain), Satou Sabally (Wings*), Katie Lou Samuelson (Fever), Natisha Hiedeman (Lynx; injury replacement for Mabrey)
Preseason Ranking: 1st
Week in review (0-2): 86-48 loss to Laces BC, 84-69 loss to Vinyl
What to like: A step up in defensive effort
When you lose two games by 53 points, there isn't much to smile about.
If we're looking for positives, it's worth acknowledging how much cleaner their defense looked against the Vinyl compared to their opening loss to the Laces.
They started smaller (more on that shortly), and you could feel the shift immediately. The first half in particular saw them switch on and off-ball screens more cleanly. There was also an uptick in ball pressure, especially on possessions where the Vinyl used a big (Dearica Hamby or Aliyah Boston) as a hub on the perimeter.
File this in the "Duh!" department, but they'll need to build on that effort.
Something to keep an eye on: The big rotation
Brittney Griner got the start against the Laces on Saturday and frankly, the minutes didn't go well.
She was constantly caught in tough positions defensively—oscillating between hanging too far back and opening up pockets for pull-ups or working toward the level of screens to compensate for one of her teammates getting clipped on a screen and having players slip behind her in the process.
To the latter point, the defensive breakdowns that she was involved in weren't always her fault. It did, however, highlight some of the concern I had about her scheme versatility in this format.
None of this would feel as dire as it did if the smaller groups, with Sabally (rough in Game 1, better in Game 2) or Samuelson (whew, buddy...) as the center, were able to end possessions consistently. They did a better job of making the Vinyl work and ultimately forcing misses, but the Vinyl had eight offensive rebounds,
It's obviously early, but I'm interested in seeing what kind of balance the Phantom strike with their lineups.
* = Player's WNBA contract status is uncertain for 2025
No. 5: Mist BC (0-2)
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Head Coach: Phil Handy
Roster: DiJonai Carrington (Sun*), Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics), Rickea Jackson (Sparks), Jewell Loyd (Storm), Breanna Stewart (Liberty*), Courtney Vandersloot (Liberty*)
Preseason Ranking: 2nd
Week in review (0-2): 84-80 loss to Lunar Owls BC, 63-43 loss to Laces BC
What to like: Mismatch-hunting
It wasn't a fruitful week in the standings, but the Mist have shown flashes of why they should be major players during this season. Near the top of the list is their ability to make you feel uncomfortable.
Vandersloot screening for Stewart, on or off the ball, is a conundrum that hasn't really been solved here or in the WNBA. Loyd's gotten in on the screen-for-Stewie fun as well. Jackson's a walking mismatch; her third quarter run against the Lunar Owls in the opener was a rather loud example of the problems she can pose.
Something to keep an eye on: Point DiJonai
There have been stretches in both games where Loyd and Vandersloot have been on the bench together, opening the door for primary initiator reps for Carrington.
The results have been mixed; we've seen quick (and correct) decisions, and we've also seen some turnovers due to placement and velocity issues. I care less about the latter, and more that she's getting the opportunity to begin with.
Her being able to handle more on-ball responsibility should pay off in the short-term—I really like the Carrington-Jackson-Stewart lineup in theory—and in the long-term as we think about her WNBA utility.
No. 4: Rose BC (0-2)
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Head Coach: Nola Henry
Roster: Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Aces), Lexie Hull (Fever), Angel Reese (Sky), Azurá Stevens (Sparks), Brittney Sykes (Mystics)
Preseason Ranking: 4th
Week in review (0-2): 79-73 loss to Vinyl BC, 79-70 loss to Lunar Owls BC
What to like: Chelsea Gray setting the table
This may shock you, but Gray (and Courtney Williams!) sits atop the assist leaderboard (12) through two games.
It's been her usual brand of awesomeness on that front: on-target pocket passes to Reese (keep an eye on her self-created looks!) and Stevens, lasers to Copper and Sykes on cuts, a no-look over-the-head pass because why not...you know what you're signing up for.
Something to keep an eye on: The rotation
It's way too early to sound the alarm, but tracking the lineups (and general minutes distribution) with this group has been interesting, to say the least.
We've seen Reese as the lone big. We've seen Stevens as the lone big. Against the Lunar Owls, they closed the game with Gray, Copper and Sykes despite Napheesa Collier having a size mismatch. We mostly haven't seen Hull, as she's only logged nine minutes across the first two games—and part of those minutes came with no other big on the floor.
This is a versatile roster on paper; it's perfectly OK for the rotation to be a work in progress (checks notes) two games in. But it's worth monitoring.
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No. 3: Vinyl BC (2-0)
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Head Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Roster: Aliyah Boston (Fever), Rae Burrell (Sparks), Jordin Canada (Dream), Dearica Hamby (Sparks), Rhyne Howard (Dream), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings)
Preseason Ranking: 3rd
Week in review: 79-73 win over Rose BC, 84-69 win over Phantom BC
What to like: Dearica Hamby, constantly moving
Hamby is one of the players in the league with legit 3x3 experience, so it's not a major surprise that she immediately looked comfortable with the enhanced spacing and heightened pace offensively.
There were copious hub-screen-seal possessions from Hamby over the weekend, especially in her game against the Phantom. That kind of activity is additive for the group; her passing from the perimeter opened up driving lanes for Ogunbowale, Howard, Canada and Burrell. Her screening did the same, and her seals against smaller defenders proved to be an important fail-safe in the half court.
Something to keep an eye on: Rae Burrell's on-ball juice
There's been plenty of buzz about Burrell heading into opening week. Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell highlighted her play during preseason action. Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon expressed her excitement about coaching Burrell, saying there's "something about Rae that the basketball world hasn't seen."
I've been impressed with Burrell offensively so far. Her transition prowess has translated well to this format, and I'd expect that to continue. What really intrigues me is the on-ball juice. Watching her spearhead pick-and-rolls without a hitch has been a fun development. I hope she continues to get reps, because that kind of comfort could unlock a new world for her once the WNBA season begins.
No. 2: Lunar Owls BC (2-0)
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Head Coach: DJ Sackmann
Roster: Shakira Austin (Mystics), Cameron Brink (Sparks; out with Torn ACL), Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Storm), Allisha Gray (Dream), Courtney Williams (Lynx)
Preseason Ranking: 6th
Week in review: 84-80 win over Mist BC, 79-70 win over Rose BC
What to like: Poking at defenses
My favorite bit from the weekend was the Lunar Owls leaning heavily into "Chicago" action—a three-player action where a player flies off an off-ball screen (pindown) before receiving a dribble handoff—during the second half of their comeback win against the Mist.
Diggins-Smith was able to drain a pair of triples from the right wing, draw a shooting foul on a fading middy and string out the defense to force a small-on-big switch that led to a Collier basket.
I'm a sucker for a run-it-until-they-stop-it stretch. That wasn't the only action they had success with, but it was a loud example of the kind of problems they can (and did) pose for defenses.
Having scheme-specific answers and scheme-proof players (hi, Phee!) really is a luxury.
Something to keep an eye on: Pick-up points defensively
Heading into Week 1, I was excited to learn about some team-specific quirks. One of the things that popped early on film was how high/quickly the Lunar Owls would pick up ball-handlers defensively.
They were pretty consistent with pressuring the ball well behind half court; you can do that when you have Diggins-Smith and Gray (who was phenomenal all weekend defensively) at the point of attack.
With that being on film, I'm curious to see how teams work to counter that. Will we see more screens set at or behind half court? Will the Lunar Owls want to dial the pressure back in an effort to conserve energy?
We shall see.
No. 1: Laces BC (2-0)
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Head Coach: Andrew Wade
Roster: Stefanie Dolson (Mystics), Tiffany Hayes (Aces*), Kate Martin (Valkyries), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Alyssa Thomas (Sun*), Jackie Young (Aces; out with knee injury)
Preseason Ranking: 5th
Week in review: 86-48 win over Phantom BC, 63-43 win over Mist BC
What to like: Balance
The cutting and general off-ball prowess of this group was identified in the opening power ranking as something to be excited about. Yet, I still found myself surprised by how effective they were at generating and capitalizing on advantages.
The screening of Thomas and Dolson consistently created openings for the guards and wings in pick-and-roll. Thomas in particular did a tremendous job of bullying smaller players after switches.
McBride's mix of pull-ups and quick-hitting drives kept defenses on their toes. Hayes was a blur in transition and early-offense situations, and her knack for offensive rebounding flashed on occasion. We'll have more on Martin shortly.
The cutting popped in their two wins, but I especially appreciated how the Laces utilized screens to set up (mid) post touches before jetting to the basket for easy ones.
All five players—Young (knee) missed both games—scored in double figures in their blowout win over Phantom BC. And despite a poor shooting performance against the Mist, all but Dolson scored in double digits in that game. Their 33 assists (16.5 average) lead all teams.
Something to keep an eye on: Kate Martin's aggression
I was fully in on Martin as a cutter, screener and spot-up shooter with this group heading into the season. Those qualities were on display over the weekend, with one of the louder examples being her game-clinching pass-and-cut against Phantom BC.
Martin's aggression in pick-and-roll has been a pleasant surprise. Watching her hunt pull-ups, particularly when players duck under screens against her, is the kind of processing and controlled aggression you want to see from her in this environment. We'll see if that continues this week.
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