'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
No one knew what to expect from the 3-on-3 league when Unrivaled was announced by founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart following the WNBA finals.
As an alternative to heading overseas during the offseason, 36 players circled Miami to dedicate themselves to a season of development and growing a brand-new league.
With the inaugural season, all wrapped up with Rose BC defeating Vinyl for the first league title, it's time to look back at the five major takeaways from Unrivaled.
#1, Napheesa Collier is just that good
Napheesa Collier has had a busy offseason since falling in the WNBA Finals 3-2 to the New York Liberty. Since announcing the 3-on-3 league, Collier has led by example.
Trending
Collier led the Lunar Owls to a league-best 13-1 record and the top seed in the playoffs. Individually, she won the 1-on-1 tournament by defeating Aaliyah Edwards in the title game.
Collier was also named the league's first MVP and featured in the All-Unrivaled First Team, along with Rose guard Chelsea Gray and Laces wing Kayla McBride. The reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 25.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 61.3 % from the floor.
“I couldn’t do any of this without my teammates," Collier said in the league annoucement of the award. "This has been such an incredible season and everyone played a part in our success, from the coaches and training staff to the staff behind the scenes. I’m so proud of this club and am honored to be the first-ever Unrivaled MVP."
#2, Angel Reese is a walking double-double
Angel Reese's rookie season in the WNBA was cut short due to a wrist injury, but only after the LSU product made a name for herself and set some league records. Reese finished the WNBA season, averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.
She set the WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles as well as the most rebounds in a season. However, despite an unexpected end to her rookie year, Reese walked into Unrivaled hungry to take the next step.
Reese was named to the All-Unrivaled Second Team and the league's first Defensive Player of the Year. She ranked second in the league in double-doubles with eight.
Reese led the league in rebounds with 12.2 and 13.1 points per game.
#3, Unrivaled is here to stay as an option instead of overseas
The inaugural season of Unrivaled has been successful in numerous ways. The league announced Thursday that Unrivaled reached more than 11.9 million total viewers and averaged 221K viewers through the regular season and playoffs. The league also inked a six-year deal with TNT Sports.
Unrivaled has generated 730K social media followers in less than a year from launching the league accounts. According to the league's X handle, It has also helped grow the brands of individual players as the combined growth for player social media followers between January and March grew 947K.
Within the short season, the league brought in over $1 million in ticket sales, and over $1 million in merchandise and raised $35 million from their investors and 20-plus sponsors.
#4, Chelsea Gray knows how to win championships
Chelsea Gray's basketball career has been defined by battling adversity and persevering to higher heights. It's the reason why fans can sit and reflect on the resume of the Las Vegas Aces guard and realize just how many times the Duke product can get to the mountaintop.
After entering the league in 2014 and being sidelined throughout the season, Gray was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Sparks where she won her first title in 2016. She then went on to win back-to-back titles for the Aces in 2022 and 2023 as well as Finals MVP in 2022.
After an injury-plagued 2024 season, a year in Unrivaled has allowed Gray to return to form, leading Rose BC to the first league title. The All-Unrivaled First-Team guard averaged 28 points and six assists in the postseason to help Rose BC win the championship.
Gray's simple message to her doubters came on the podium as she accepted the league's finals MVP.
"Keep that same energy, you know what I'm saying? I got the receipts who's talking sh**," Gray said.
#5, Unrivaled influences other leagues with one-on-one tournament
One of the most well-received aspects of Unrivaled was the mid-season 1-on-1 tournament. The league saw 30 of the best players Unrivaled and the WNBA had to offer and fans, peers and other leagues certainly took notice of the engagement the tournament received on social media.
The tournament featured young stars like Aaliyah Edwards knocking off WNBA champions like Breanna Stewart or All-WNBA Second Team players like Arike Ogunbowale. The one-on-one competition allowed fans to see what it would look like with their favorite players going head-to-head in ways a traditional basketball game would not allow.
The idea had both Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony among other NBA players thinking about what a one-on-one tournament would look like in the men's league. Kevin Durant told reporters on NBA TV during the All-Star break that the one-on-one tournament would be a nice addition to All-Star Weekend.
"That would be tough. Of course I would have to go with myself, but there's so many great one-on-one players in our league. I don't think it would be easy to predict who would come out on top.
If I had to say one guy, it would probably be [Victor Wembanyama,] Add [Jayson] Tatum in there too. The long, athletic guys. I just feel it's a lot of guys that could come out here and put a show on in the one-on-one so that would be a cool addition to All-Star Weekend."
The New York Knick legend, Anthony, spoke on his podcast 7PM in Brooklyn in February that the league should experiment with the one-on-one tournament with the rookie game. Either way, the one-on-one tournament could revive interest in an All-Star Weekend that has struggled with viewership over the last few years.
