Is Napheesa Collier playing tonight against Mist BC? Latest on Lunar Owls superstar's status (Unrivaled 2025, Jan. 17)

Napheesa Collier and her Lunar Owls are set to debut tonight at the Unrivaled opening night. The veteran forward will coincidentally clash against her partner, co-founder Breanna Stewart, of the Mist. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and plenty of fans should be tuning in to watch two talented squads.

Collier and the Lunar Owls have a strong group of players who combine scoring and playmaking. The forward has no injury ahead of this game and will be ready to go against her former UConn teammate Stewart.

Following a remarkable 2024 WNBA season in which she won the Defensive Player of the Year award and led the Minnesota Lynx to the Finals, Collier is set to continue playing at a high level in the league he co-founded.

Collier is predicted to start for the Lunar Owls as the forward alongside Skylar Diggins-Smith (guard) and Shakira Austin (forward/center). On the other hand. Breanna Stewart (forward), Courtney Vandersloot (guard) and Jewell Lloyd (guard) are predicted to start for Mist BC.

This competition was created as an option for players not to go play overseas and the expectations are high. Ahead of the league's opening night, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart received praise from a legendary coach.

Former coach commends Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart for coming up with Unrivaled idea

Ahead of the debut of Unrivaled, Geno Auriemma, who coached Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart at UConn, lauded the players for putting together this league. Auriemma took credit for the growth both players experienced at college and said was proud to see them impact the game off the court.

"Well, they learned how to play basketball at UConn, they learned how to grow up, they learned how to be great teammates and they paid attention and learned where the money is and that if you're gonna put too much effort into it, how to find a way to capitalize on it," he said.

"So, I'm incredibly proud of how they represent themselves and their families and they how they represent the WNBA and what they've done, which took a lot of courage coz you don't know if it's actually gonna go.

"Everywhere they go and everything they do, they will always be mention that they played at UConn... we are gonna be part of that, I couldn't be prouder, feels like my own kids at home."

Collier and Stewart clashed in the 2024 WNBA Finals and they're set to continue their duels in Unrivaled.