Grading the Top Unrivaled Season 2 Superstars
We are heading into the final weeks of the Unrivaled season, with the championship game scheduled for March 4. After a fantastic midseason one-on-one tournament, which saw Chelsea Gray win the $200,000 prize for being the last woman standing, the league shifts toward the playoff hunt.
Three teams have already clinched playoff spots: the Phantom, Laces and Mist. Yet, a significant draw for Unrivaled overall is the star power it brings.
Let's grade how the league's biggest names are faring so far.
Alyssa Thomas, Laces: B+
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Alyssa Thomas is a unique kind of leader on the court. She doesn't constantly rack up points. Yet she does a little bit of everything for the league-leading Laces BC (9-2), which adds up immensely.
While she's played extremely well, she falls short of an A because she still isn't the No. 1 option on her team, which is wild. She is averaging 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists through 11 games. That's third on her team behind Brittney Sykes and Jackie Young, which just proves how good the Laces are.
Thomas, more than anything, is an incredible veteran presence who is going to bring that clutch gene no matter what. Whether or not she's the top scorer on her team, her impact on defence, playmaking and leadership is profound.
Breanna Stewart, Mist: A
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Last season, Mist BC fell on hard times, and a lot of that was due to Breanna Stewart's ongoing injury issues. After the Unrivaled season, she had a procedure done on her knee before the WNBA campaign began—but then injured herself again over the summer.
That left lingering health questions surrounding her going into this Unrivaled season, but Stewart has looked solid. She's second in scoring on her team with 19.7 points per game—just slightly behind Allisha Gray—and leads Mist BC with 9.4 rebounds per game.
She's a major reason the Mist sit third in the standings at 7-4 and became the league's third team to clinch a playoff spot. They definitely have a chance to get to the finals and bring home some hardware, and Stewart brings the expertise and two-way skills needed to do so.
Allisha Gray, Mist: B+
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Allisha Gray was moved from the Lunar Owls to the Mist this season, and she's embraced her leading role. Gray's 20.0 points per game is the highest on a team that's gone 7-4, but she is also supported greatly by Breanna Stewart.
Gray is another one of those players who quietly dominates. She's not overly flashy but can shoot threes, defend, make plays and act as a solid presence.
Mix her sturdiness in the backcourt with Stewart's confidence in the frontcourt, and Mist BC has carved out a solid place in the league. While Gray does not have as much playoff experience as Stewart, her ability to score will definitely give her team an edge.
Skylar Diggins, Lunar Owls: C+
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It's been a rough go for the Lunar Owls. They lost Napheesa Collier to injury ahead of the season, which has led to a league-worst 3-8 record—despite a lot of those games being close.
Skylar Diggins is the veteran leader of her team, averaging 16.4 points per game, trailing both Marina Mabrey (24.9 ppg) and Aaliyah Edwards (22.4 ppg). Yet, she's also a great leader, motivating her teammates through her passion on top of her play.
But while it's not entirely her fault, it's hard to give her a higher mark given the lack of team success.
Aliyah Boston, Phantom: B+
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Aliyah Boston headed into her second season of Unrivaled after a fantastic WNBA campaign, and her excellent on-court presence has just continued. The Phantom are second in the league at 8-3, and were the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
Boston has been a huge part of that. She is second overall in Phantom scoring behind Kelsey Plum with 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Her rebounding mark puts her third leaguewide, and she's first in blocks per game with 2.0. Her partnership with a veteran scorer and playmaker like Plum has been a big part of their success.
Heading into her fourth WNBA season, Boston's surge in leadership ability is going to do wonders for the Indiana Fever. For now, she has her sights set on trying to help Phantom BC win the Unrivaled championship.
Jackie Young, Laces: A
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Jackie Young is quickly becoming one of women's basketball's biggest superstars. On the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, her quiet presence behind A'ja Wilson sometimes goes unnoticed, but she is a strong two-way player who makes a huge impact.
Seeing her paired with Laces teammate Alyssa Thomas is incredibly fun as well. That's especially so, after the Aces and Thomas' Phoenix Mercury played each other in the WNBA Finals last fall. She's been a huge part of the Laces' 9-2 season, averaging 16.3 points and 3.8 assists per game.
One thing that will help Young in the Unrivaled postseason will be her familiarity with the moment. The Aces have won three WNBA championships in the past four seasons, and Young has been a big part of all of them. She knows what it takes to win.
Kelsey Plum, Phantom: A
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Kelsey Plum is one of the best scorers in women's basketball, and it's showing as she leads Phantom in Unrivaled this season. The team is 8-3, already in the playoffs, and a favorite to win it all. Plum's leadership makes her one of the higher graded stars this year.
She is fourth in the league in points per game (22.4), third in assists per game (5.5), fourth in three-pointers made per game (2.6) and tied for first in total game winners this season (4).
Her stats alone make her one of the league's best players, but Plum is also a key cog in the wonderfully balanced Phantom roster. Plum, Natasha Cloud and Tiffany Hayes provide veteran leadership, while Aliyah Boston, Kiki Iriafen and Dana Evans anchor the younger core, and together they have formed a great on-court product.
Paige Bueckers, Breeze: B+
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At the tail end of her year-long professional rookie campaign, Paige Bueckers is already one of the most impactful players in the sport. Her off-court cultural appeal is huge, of course, but her on-court basketball IQ, shooting ability and playmaking prowess make her a dangerous player.
The Breeze BC star is third in the league at 24.5 points per game, second at 6.3 assists per game and fourth in minutes at 20.3 per game.
The only thing keeping her from an A is the fact that Breeze BC is sitting in fourth place with a record of 5-6. If they make a playoff push, Bueckers will be a huge part of that.
Kahleah Copper, Rose: B
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Kahleah Copper is a big part of why Rose BC won the first Unrivaled championship last year. She's an elite scorer, and her speed and length make her a difficult matchup for anyone.
Unfortunately, she has only played in eight games this season, which may be why her team is 5-6 and fifth in the standings. Copper is averaging 19.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Yet, she is a proven winner—Copper has a WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal under her belt as well as the inaugural Unrivaled title. If the Rose need someone to come out big for them in the playoffs, that's Copper's role.
She's one of the best drivers in the league, she can shoot from a distance and she's receiving passes from the best in the game: Chelsea Gray. That's how they became the dark-horse winners in year one.
Chelsea Gray, Rose: A+
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The Point Gawd is making her presence known in Unrivaled. Last week, she won the league's one-on-one tournament, securing a $200,000 bonus as she tries to defend the Unrivaled championship her team won in year one.
Beyond that, she is making a strong case for league MVP.
Her 25.1 points per game leads the league. She's also first in assists per game with 6.5 dimes per contest, second in three-pointers per game (3.2), third in steals per game (1.5), tied for fourth in game-winning shots (3) and leads the league in minutes, playing 22.3 per game.
The four-time WNBA champion knows how to win, and she only turns it up more when it matters most. She's a certified playoff problem, so if Rose BC makes it to the postseason, she will be a huge part of their success.
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