Unrivaled Power Rankings Ahead of 2026 Season Tipoff
Unrivaled is back for Season 2 with two more clubs, more players and a ton of excitement carrying over from its first campaign. As we head into February, the season is nearing its midway point.
The teams were drafted in November, with existing clubs protecting certain number of players based on their performance the previous season. Other than that, the rosters from 2025 were scrapped, and teams were reconfigured to account for the two expansion teams and player entrances and exist from the league.
This new season of Unrivaled also comes at a time when the WNBA and the players' union are in the middle of heated negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. As Unrivaled continues to be very player-forward, it has become a backdrop for these players to express their opinions and beliefs during negotiations.
It's been an exciting season so far as Unrivaled has expanded, travelled to Philadelphia for a weekend, and continued to celebrate the excellence of its players. There's still a championship to be won, though, so let's look at the rankings.
8. Hive Basketball Club
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Roster: Monique Billings, Sonia Citron, Natisha Hiedeman, Ezi Magbegor, Kelsey Mitchell, Saniya Rivers
Coach: Rena Wakama
One expansion team at the top, one at the bottom. Hive BC has a good mix of young talent and vets, bringing in Ezi Magbegor, Kelsey Mitchell, Monique Billings, Natisha Hiedeman, Sonia Citron and Saniya Rivers. Hiedeman is the only player on the team who was involved with Unrivaled last season, and she was a reserve player.
Hive is definitely guard-heavy, though, and may have trouble facing up against players like Griner, Smith, Stevens and Malonga, just to name a few. Yet, having a player like Magbegor in this lineup will help, as she is a two-way threat who will be able to score but also defend those tall, physical players. It's something she has been trying to improve upon over the years.
A super-fun aspect to this club is it's pairing two young players in Citron and Rivers. The two were ACC rivals in college, playing for Notre Dame and NC State, then rivals on Washington and Connecticut in the WNBA as rookies, and will now team up. Two very promising talents who will have some great playing time in Miami to develop ahead of Year 2 in the WNBA.
7. Lunar Owls Basketball Club
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Roster: Rebecca Allen, Rachel Banham, Napheesa Collier (protected/out for season), Skylar Diggins (protected), Aaliyah Edwards, Marina Mabrey, Temi Fagbenle (injury replacement)
Coach: DJ Sackmann
The Lunar Owls were on fire last year, having gone 13-1 in the regular season. They suffered a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals of last year's playoffs but still managed to protect two of their players from the draft this year. Yet, with Napheesa Collier out for the entire season, needing double ankle surgery, the Lunar Owls' hopes have dimmed.
Skylar Diggins will now be at the helm of this team, and her passion, energy, and determination can take her far. There are also a few players who could rise to the occasion in Marina Mabrey and Aaliyah Edwards.
Diggins, Mabrey, and Edwards will be joined by injury replacement Temi Fagbenle, Rachel Banham and Rebecca Allen. Without Collier, their ranking drops significantly, but they have underdog potential.
6. Mist Basketball Club
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Roster: Veronica Burton, Allisha Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Alanna Smith, Breanna Stewart (protected), Li Yueru
Coach: Zach O'Brien
Breanna Stewart is the only returning player to Mist BC this year.
There are three WNBA award winners on this team, as Alanna Smith won Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Veronica Burton won Most Improved Player in 2025, while Allisha Gray was on the All-WNBA First Team. Smith brings (obviously) below-the-rim defense, while Burton, Arike Ogunbowale and Gray can shoot the ball and rack up points.
After Stewart's injury-filled WNBA season, hopefully she is able to recover in time to make an impact on this Mist club. Injuries were rampant in women's basketball this past WNBA season, so she's not the only one dealing with this. If the club can quickly build chemistry as a unit and get everyone contributing at a high level, it could be a playoff threat.
5. Phantom Basketball Club
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Roster: Aliyah Boston, Natasha Cloud, Dana Evans, Kiki Iriafen, Kelsey Plum, Satou Sabally (out indefinitely), Tiffany Hayes (injury replacement)
Coach: Roneeka Hodges
Phantom was another squad that was only able to protect one player in the draft, opting to retain Satou Sabally. Yet, she will not be starting the season with her team because of the concussion she sustained during the WNBA Finals.
The team was able to keep Natasha Cloud by redrafting her, and grabbed Aliyah Boston from Vinyl. Rounding out the roster are three new Unrivaled players: Kelsey Plum, Dana Evans and Kiki Iriafen.
The biggest question here is Sabally's health. She suffered a concussion during the WNBA Finals, and the timeline for recovery with head injuries is never really clear. She apparently still has symptoms from that injury, and Unrivaled says she is out indefinitely. The club has signed Tiffany Hayes as a replacement.
Cloud, Boston and Plum could be an interesting trio, though. Cloud's defense mixed with Boston's two-way game in the post and Plum's scoring ability could be big for the Phantom—even if Sabally's absence is lengthy. Plus, they have a dynamic young player in Iriafen and a promising player in Evans. They could be a dark horse.
4. Vinyl Basketball Club
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Roster: Rae Burrell, Brittney Griner, Dearica Hamby (protected), Rhyne Howard (protected), Erica Wheeler, Courtney Williams
Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
The new-look Vinyl could go far in Season 2. After retaining Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard, the club added Brittney Griner, Courtney Williams, Erica Wheeler and Rae Burrell.
Williams and Wheeler both had fantastic seasons in the WNBA, with Wheeler absolutely thriving in her new role with the Seattle Storm. Griner brings size, rebounding and defense to the team. Despite being out nearly half the WNBA season with an injury, Burrell was able to return in the back half and average 7.5 points per game—a career high.
With this mix of versatility, shooting ability, defence, post-play and more, Vinyl BC could outplay this initial ranking.
3. Laces Basketball Club
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Roster: Jordin Canada, Naz Hillmon, Maddy Siegrist, Brittney Sykes, Alyssa Thomas (protected), Jackie Young (protected)
Coach: Andrew Wade
Laces BC has two of the best players in the game in Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young. They will be joined by an entirely new supporting cast this season.
Despite being a "returning" player, Thomas did not play much of last Unrivaled season due to an injury. She then went on to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA Finals appearance but also suffered a shoulder injury in the final game. We will have to wait and see how much that deep playoff run will affect her status going into Unrivaled.
Jackie Young played some of the best basketball of her career this past WNBA season in Las Vegas. The rest of the roster is built on exciting young role players in Maddy Siegrist and Naz Hillmon. Brittney Sykes is a veteran with a ton of experience, which will lend well to this team.
The main factor with this squad is health, given that Thomas, Young, Siegrist and Jordin Canada all struggled with injuries in 2025. With Lunar Owls' Napheesa Collier now out for the Unrivaled season, there is a bit of an opening for Laces to boost up in ranking.
2. Rose Basketball Club
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Roster: Shakira Austin, Kahleah Copper (protected), Chelsea Gray (protected), Lexie Hull, Azurá Stevens, Sug Sutton
Coach: Nola Henry
Last year's championship team is back, with some different faces. Rose BC has retained Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Azura Stevens and Lexie Hull, but Angel Reese isn't coming back. While they have the benefit of having more returning players than a lot of the other teams, there will be an adjustment period in losing Reese.
Joining the team are Sug Sutton and Shakira Austin. With leaders like Gray and Copper, this team will do well. Stevens and Austin will have to take on some of the rebounding and post play that Reese contributed, and Hull provides shooting, which could be big in high-pressure moments.
Overall, this club could be a dark horse to win a second championship. That same grit and determination it had in Year 1 will serve the group well during a competitive Year 2.
1. Breeze Basketball Club
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Roster: Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, Kate Martin, Aari McDonald
Coach: Noelle Quinn
We are sticking with this bold No. 1 choice. Having the first overall pick in the draft worked out for Breeze BC, and they went a similar route to the WNBA's most recent draft, picking Paige Bueckers. The 24-year-old brings a ton of her skill over to the three-on-three format, and maybe most importantly, her impressive midrange game will be on full display.
She isn't the only star on this club; she is joined by the WNBA's two previous No. 2 overall picks in Dominique Malonga and Cameron Brink. When you mix Bueckers' guard skills with Malonga's size and versatility, plus Brink's talent under the basket, this is a big, terrifying trio.
Rounding out this roster are Aari McDonald, Rickea Jackson and Kate Martin. Jackson and Brink have played together on the Los Angeles Sparks for the past two seasons, and McDonald joined them in 2024. Adding them to this club, along with Martin's distance shooting makes the Breeze a top title contender.
The youth movement in women's basketball has reached Unrivaled.
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