The defending champion, Rose, who started 1-4 last season, is already off to a solid start and near the top of the league standings. However, the team isn’t alone. Unrivaled’s field is bringing the elite competition. The Laces, Breeze and Phantom all have something to say about which team might be the best in the league.
What’s more, Breeze guard Paige Bueckers isn’t letting anyone, including Rose guard Chelsea Gray, who has been on a tear, get in the way of her money or her mission to elevate her team to the top. As expected, Bueckers’ potential breakout season is already loading.
Here’s USA TODAY’s Unrivaled power rankings through the first five games:
8. Lunar Owls BC (1-4)
The Lunar Owls finally got in the win column on Monday, Jan. 19, after a 68-57 win over Vinyl. It was almost becoming painful to watch guard Marina Mabrey and forward Aaliyah Edwards carry the team with not much production elsewhere. Mabrey is second in scoring (27.8 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game) and top 10 in rebounds (7.8 per game). Edwards, who is averaging a double-double, is sixth in scoring (21.8 points per game) and leads Unrivaled in rebounds (12.2).
It also helps that guard Skylar Diggins, who was out with a lower extremity injury, made her Season Two debut on January 17. Having Diggins back is a major boost to overall production. The Lunar Owls guard was ninth in scoring (17.9 points per game), second in assists per game (4.7) and third in steals (1.5 per matchup) last season.
7. Hive BC (1-4)
Hive BC isn’t as terrible as their record would seem to indicate, but they certainly need more collective effort on both sides of the ball. On paper, four players averaging double figures, including guard Kelsey Mitchell with 16.2 points, should be enough to stack wins. However, it’s the shot selection that seems to be hurting Hive the most. The team has yet to figure out how to take the easy baskets and play inside-out, with center Ezi Magbegor as the anchor. Hive also isn’t moving the ball well at just 8.8 assists per matchup, the worst in Unrivaled.
Defensively, Hive has already allowed 380 points, the second most in the league. That can’t happen if the team wants any chance at a championship. Hive must lock in defensively and use its speed and ball pressure to its advantage.
6. Vinyl BC (2-3)
Vinyl is loaded with talent, but it is struggling to be as consistent as it needs to be. Both guard Rhyne Howard and forward Dearica Hamby are doing their best to carry the load, but they need more help. Unfortunately, no other Vinyl players are averaging double figures. Guard Courtney Williams is the closest at nearly nine points per contest, but if Vinyl wants to put games in the win column, it needs more from Williams and at least one other bench player.
Furthermore, Vinyl’s perimeter production has to improve if it wants to keep up. Two of its three losses this season have come when the team shot fewer than five 3-pointers, including a painful January 19 loss to the Lunar Owls. Vinyl was just 2-of-12 behind the arc.
5. Mist BC (3-2)
Guard Allisha Gray has been phenomenal in leading Mist. She currently averages 23 points and assists 3.6 per matchup, and the 3-on-3 Olympian is right in her element. Forward Breanna Stewart has also been a nice compliment to Gray, averaging nearly 20 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. Mist has the potential to do more in Unrivaled if it can get more consistent production from its other guards, Arike Ogunbowale and Veronica Burton.
While Ogunbowale and Burton have been more than solid through the first five games, a bump in production to get both into double-figures nightly would go far. Add in additional minutes for forward Alanna Smith, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Mist make a push up the rankings.
4. Breeze BC (3-2)
After overcoming a few growing pains, coach Noelle Quinn’s roster, the youngest in the league, is doing a commendable job of leaving no doubt that it belongs. Following a 2-0 start, Breeze dropped its next two games before earning a much-needed January 19 win, 83-64, over Mist. Guard Paige Bueckers had a sensational 37-point performance, which included 18 first-quarter points.
Bueckers, who is unsurprisingly leading the league in assists (6.8 per game), is also third in scoring (23.4 points per game) and eighth in rebounds (8.0 per game). Her teammates, centers Cameron Brink and Dominique Malonga, are fifth and sixth in blocks per game, respectively, with 1.2 per contest. Malonga is also averaging a double-double (15.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game). Forward Rickea Jackson (15 points per game) also deserves a mention for her steady presence. Once guard Aari McDonald returns from her injury absence, Breeze’s potential could skyrocket.
3. Phantom BC (3-2)
Phantom is a sleeper team to watch that could be an early contender for the Unrivaled title. They have four players averaging double figures, plenty of depth and a fast pace that seems to be working against opposing teams. Guards Kelsey Plum and Tiffany Hayes have re-ignited their synergy from previously playing together on the Las Vegas Aces, and center Aliyah Boston has been a nice interior presence alongside Plum and Hayes.
Boston has truly found her stride on both sides of the ball, particularly defensively, where she leads the league in blocks per game (2.0) and is fourth in steals (1.8 per matchup). Rounding out Phantom is catch-all guard Natasha Cloud and forward Kiki Iriafen, who have been trustworthy in their roles off the bench. It should frighten other teams that Phantom is playing this well and still missing guard Dana Evans, who is out with a lower extremity injury.
2. Rose BC (3-2)
Despite dropping its last two matches to Hive and Laces, Rose is still a top team in the league. Guard Chelsea Gray has been on fire and already has three 30-point performances on the season. Gray also leads the league in scoring (30.6 points per game) and is fourth in assists per game (5.6). Yet, the Rose guard’s production isn’t enough.
Rose has gotten itself into trouble with its late-game execution and defense. The team lost a 78-75 heartbreaker to a winless Hive team and lost again to the Laces, after leading by as many as nine points in the third quarter. Ultimately, head coach Nola Henry must ask more out of her team on the defensive end and more from her bench if Rose wants a chance at repeating.
1. Laces BC (4-1)
The Laces have quietly put together a great start to the Unrivaled season. After opening with a 1-1 record, head coach Andrew Wade’s roster has rattled off three consecutive wins over the Lunar Owls, Phantom and Rose. The January 18 70-66 victory against Rose was a fantastic masterclass in tenacity. Wade’s team was down by as much as nine points before mounting a gritty comeback win to push the Laces to the top of the league standings.
Brittney Sykes (20.4 points per game) leads the charge for the Laces, often being a catalyst with her defense. (Sykes is second in steals per game with 2.4 per matchup). However, guard Jackie Young (20.2 points per game) has emerged as a nice one-two punch with Sykes. Against Rose, the Laces guard tallied 35 points on 68 percent shooting, plus three assists and a steal, during a standout performance.