5 WNBA players who will benefit the most from playing in Unrivaled ft. Angel Reese 

Angel Reese and the rest of women's basketball joined the 3x3 fray this year, with the inaugural season of Unrivaled now underway after the first two games on Friday.

The first night was received exceptionally well by both fans and players, who see it as a great way to expand the game and grow their skills as they prepare for the 2025 WNBA regular season.

Whether they're being offered bigger opportunities on smaller teams or finding themselves on the same roster as top players in the league, there are players across the Unrivaled who could stand to gain a lot from the experience. Here are my top five players with the most to gain from playing in Unrivaled this year:

Angel Reese, Rose BC

Reese is coming off the best rebounding season the WNBA has ever seen. (Image Source: Imagn)

After finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese has something to prove as she takes on the competition in Unrivaled. Playing on Rose BC, Reese slides right in as the team's starting center, a spot she thrived in during her rookie season, where she averaged a record 13.1 rebounds per game.

The roster around her, as well as the 3x3 format of Unrivaled, gives Reese the chance to showcase her offensive skills while continuing to sharpen her strengths against the best bigs in the WNBA, including Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston, and Britney Griner.

Katie Lou Samuelson, Phantom BC

Samuelson has an opportunity to step into a larger role with her Unrivaled team. (Image Source: Imagn)

On the Fever, Katie Lou Samuelson is the fourth option behind Clark, Aaliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. On Phantom, however, she will receive more offensive opportunities and will operate with much more space thanks to playing alongside Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, who shot 39% and 45% from three, respectively.

Playing on the same team as two of the best shooters in the league gives Samuelson a chance to be a sponge, absorbing knowledge and learning behaviors from those two. If she can do that, she returns to Indiana with much more to offer, both as a shooter and an off-ball mover who takes some of the defensive attention off of Clark.

Kate Martin, Laces BC

Martin will be able to build her offensive skills before she competes with the Golden State Valkyries next season. (Image Source: Imagn)

With the introduction of the Golden State Valkyries this offseason, there was much speculation on where the team would go with their picks during the expansion draft. Their selection of Kate Martin was surprising, mainly because most experts expected the Las Vegas Aces to protect Martin, including ESPN's Kevin Pelton.

The Unrivaled season serves as a preview for Martin's regular season, as she will handle more offensive responsibility with both Laces BC and the Valkyries. This chance to hone in on her offensive strengths, as well as learn from veterans Kayla McBride and Jackie Young, should prepare Martin well. Not to mention her inevitable 1-on-1 practices against all-world defender Alyssa Thomas.

Dearica Hamby, Vinyl BC

Dearica Hamby has a chance to learn from one of the best WNBA players in the Unrivaled league. (Image Source: Imagn)

Dearica Hamby has carved out a nice role during her nine-year career and has settled into a starting spot for the LA Sparks, but she is in a perfect place to take her game to the next level in Unrivaled. Playing alongside Arike Ogunbowale, one of the most creative and effective scorers the WNBA has ever seen, coming off a season where she averaged 22.2 points per game.

The Unrivaled season allows Hamby to form a dynamic offensive duo with her, as well as glean some scoring knowledge from the four-time All-Star. Hamby averaged a career-high 17.3 points per game for the Sparks last season, but after a 3x3 season where she gets to be around the offensive genius of Ogunbowale, she has the opportunity to improve that number next season.

Rickea Jackson, Mist BC

Rickea Jackson has the chance to learn from Breanna Stewart and bring her new skills back to the LA Sparks next season. (Image Source: Imagn)

Stewart and Napheesa Collier are two of the best players in today's WNBA, and they are also the co-founders of Unrivaled. Rickea Jackson has the chance to learn from Stewart on Mist BC, getting a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the best players conducts herself, both on and off the court.

Jackson had a promising rookie season with the Sparks, already drawing comparisons to Stewart as a scorer, but falls a little short of expectations in many other aspects of the game, just like Stewart did at the beginning of her career. Stewart can help her develop a more well-rounded game.