Arike Ogunbowale tops Aaliyah Edwards on Paige Bueckers' list of players she wants to face in Unrivaled's 1v1 challenge

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers uploaded a video to Instagram on Saturday, revealing a list of players she’d like to face in a one-on-one challenge. In the 41-second reel, the 6-foot collegiate star named five current players in the Unrivaled Basketball League as her ideal matchups.

The league, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is a 3-on-3 women’s basketball competition featuring both up-and-coming standouts and established WNBA stars. In addition to its regular format, Unrivaled will host a 1-on-1 tournament starting Monday, Feb. 10, where 30 players will compete for a $350,000 prize pool.

As a college NIL athlete representing the league, Bueckers shared her top five matchups, including Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards, a former UConn teammate. The Hopkins, Minnesota, native explained why she chose Ogunbowale first.

"Out of all the Unrivalved players, I would want to play Arike 1-0n-1, definitely, because I feel like she would challenge my defensive skills. She's one of the best 1-on-1 players in the league," Bueckers said.

Bueckers also had a playful reason for including Edwards on her list.

"Then I would say, I wanna play Aaliyah Edwards one-on-one, because she's my former teammate and she can't guard me," she quipped.

Bueckers' picks from the Unrivaled Basketball League reflect potential fantasy matchups that would test her skills. Ogunbowale, known for her national title-clinching shot in 2018, has since become a four-time WNBA All-Star. Meanwhile, Edwards, who played alongside Bueckers in college, is preparing for her sophomore WNBA season in 2025.

In the 2024-25 season, Bueckers is looking to finish her collegiate career strong, averaging 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Paige Bueckers rounds out her 1-on-1 list with Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Natasha Cloud

To complete her top five, Bueckers named Las Vegas Aces guards Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray, along with Connecticut Sun guard Natasha Cloud. Speaking about Loyd, Bueckers emphasized their close relationship.

"Another I would wanna play is Jewell Loyd, because we've become like family, we're very close. I would want to get that work," Bueckers shared.

Next, she spoke highly of Gray, calling her one of the greatest point guards of all time.

"I would want to play Chelsea Gray 0ne-on-one too because she's been one of my favorite players growing up. And, I think she's one of the greatest point guards of all time in the league."

Bueckers closed out her list with Cloud, citing her defensive abilities.

"Lastly, I will want to play Natasha Cloud because that's also my dog, and she got good defense, so it'll challenge my 0ffense," Bueckers said.

Bueckers and the UConn Huskies return to action on Sunday, Feb. 9, with a road game against the Providence Friars.