Unrivaled’s highly-anticipated 1v1 tournament begins Monday night, and the first round features 16 standout WNBA players: Napheesa Collier, Katie Lue Samuelson, Chelsea Gray, Shakira Austin, Kahleah Copper, Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Lexie Hull, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dearica Hamby, Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada, Jackie Young, Rickea Jackson, Breanna Stewart, and Aaliyah Edwards.
Predicting which WNBA stars will advance in Unrivaled’s 1v1 tournament
Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier headline a star-studded cast of WNBA players who will participate in Unrivaled’s inaugural 1v1 tournament.
Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Another 7 players are advancing right into the second round of the playoffs: Arike Ogunbowale, Rae Burrell, Azura Stevens, Courtney Williams, Satou Sabally, and DiJonai Carrington. That’s because the players they were slated to compete against are out with injuries. Ogunbowale had a bye from the jump due to media and fan voting.
The 1-on-1 games are single-elimination and will be played to 11 points or 10 minutes in length, whichever comes first. Winners will advance to the next round of the tournament, which continues on Tues, Feb. 11.
Which WNBA players are competing in the first round and who do we expect to come away with a win?
The reality is that with games being so shot — and winners keeping the ball — anything can happen in these first-round games. All 16 players have a realistic shot to come out of the first round so long as they get hot.
In any case, here are SB Nation’s picks for the first round of the 1v1 tournament.
Napheesa Collier vs Katie Lue Samuelson: The easy pick here is Napheesa Collier, who has been the most dominant player in Unrivaled so far this season, averaging 29.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Collier has been unstoppable in the post and has been an elite defender, even on the perimeter. She has the upper hand against Katie Lou Samuelson, who has been the third-lowest-scoring player in Unrivaled so far this season.
Prediction: Napheesa Collier advances
Chelsea Gray vs Shakira Austin: This one will be a little bit of a mismatch, but who will be able to exploit their advantage more isn’t certain. Chelsea Gray is 5’11 and Shakira Austin is 6’5. If Gray can get some offensive rhythm going, it will be hard for Austin to keep up with her on the perimeter.
Prediction: Chelsea Gray advances
Kahleah Copper vs Aliyah Boston: At her best, Kahleah Copper is one of the best scorers in the game, and at Unrivaled, she’s averaged 16.6 points per game. She has the potential to get hot in this one, especially if she makes her first few, and though Aliyah Boston (who is 6’5) has four inches on her, Copper is 6’1 and can hold her own defensively.
Prediction: Kahleah Copper advances
Rhyne Howard vs Lexie Hull: Rhyne Howard has the size to make life for Lexie Hull difficult, but I’m betting on Hull getting hot from the outside and going on a bit of a roll. Hull had a superb second half of the year shooting for the Fever, and she’s my sleeper pick for making a bit of a run here despite having a somewhat more limited on-ball game than most of the other players on this list.
Prediction: Lexie Hull advances
Skylar Diggins-Smith vs Dearica Hamby: Diggins-Smith and Hamby have been two of Unrivaled’s best players so far this season. Hamby is the league’s third-leading scorer at 21.2 points per game and has been a formidable paint presence. But Diggins-Smith can get hot from the outside, and she’ll have that edge in the 1v1 tournament. She’s also a strong defender who is a fiery competitor. Diggins-Smith is 5’9 and Hamby is 6’3, so she’ll be undersized in this one. But, some hot shooting can carry her through.
Prediction: Skylar Diggins-Smith advances
Allisha Gray vs Jordin Canada: Allisha Gray has been on a tear at Unrivaled, averaging 19.5 points as the league’s third-leading scorer. She also had a nice record of winning in these types of competitions — she won both the skills challenge and the three-point contest at WNBA All-Star weekend last year. Gray is well-suited for 1v1. But, if anyone can slow her down, it could be her Atlanta Dream teammate. Canada is intimately familiar with Gray’s game and is also an elite defender.
Prediction: Alisha Gray advances
Jackie Young vs Rickea Jackson: This one was a tough pick. Young is the more polished offensive player, but she’s also coming off injury and isn’t quite at 100%. Jackson is a killer midrange scorer who may be able to go on a bit of a run in this tournament despite being less experienced.
Prediction: Rickea Jackson advances
Breanna Stewart vs Aaliyah Edwards: Edwards has had a solid Unrivaled season so far, but I give the edge to Breanna Stewart who has been a perennial MVP candidate and can score in a multitude of ways. Stewart has averaged 18.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, while Edwards has averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. While Edwards may be able hold her own, the far more veteran Stewart has the upper hand.
Prediction: Breanna Stewart advances
Which Unrivaled players aren’t playing in the tournament?
The league announced on Sunday that 7 players are injured and will forego competition: Natasha Cloud, Alyssa Thomas, Tiffany Hayes, Marina Mabrey, Kate Martin, Brittney Sykes, and Kayla McBride.
In addition, 5 players were not expected to participate from the jump: Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, Stefanie Dolson, and Courtney Vandersloot.
The second round of the 1v1 tournament will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7pm ET. The tournament will wrap up on Friday, Feb. 14, with the winner walking away with a $200,000 cash prize (and Final Four participants earning $25,000).
