Unrivaled’s 1v1 tournament continues Tuesday night, and 15 WNBA players remain in the mix for a $200,000 cash prize: Allisha Gray, Kahleah Copper, Rae Burrell, Jewell Loyd, Shakira Austin, Azura Stevens, Rickea Jackson, Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, Rhyne Howard, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, Satou Sabally, and Aaliyah Edwards.
Unrivaled 1v1 tournament: second-round matchups, schedule, predictions, results
Napheea Collier, Kahleah Copper, Allisha Gray headline the list of WNBA players slated to continue competing in Unrivaled’s 1v1 tournament on Tuesday.
Photo by Rich Storry/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.
The single-elimination tournament features games to 11 points (or 10 minutes, whichever comes first). And, players adhere to a 7-second shot clock, keeping the ball if they score.
Monday night’s opening round, which included 8 games, featured three upsets, with Rickea Jackson, Shakira Austin, and Aaliyah Edwards all defeating higher-seeded opponents.
Unrivaled’s 1v1 tournament continues Tuesday
Here’s who is slated to compete in the tournament’s second round.
Allisha Gray vs Kahleah Copper: Gray and Copper were both victorious on Monday, with Gray beating Atlanta Dream teammate Jordin Canada 11-4 and Copper besting Aliyah Boston 11-6. Now, the two competitors will face off in the tournament’s next round.
Prediction: Allisha Gray advances
Rae Burrell vs Jewell Loyd: Both players had a bye in the first round, so they’ll be well-rested entering this one. Burrell is an up-and-coming Los Angeles Sparks play who has been excelling in Unrivaled so far, while Loyd is consistently one of the WNBA’s elite scorers.
Prediction: Jewell Loyd advances
Shakira Austin vs Azura Stevens: Austin upset Chelsea Gray in the first round, coming away with a 12-2 win. Stevens, meanwhile, had a bye. The two post players will face off with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.
Prediction: Shakira Austin advances
Rickea Jackson vs Napheesa Collier: Two midrange assassins will face off in this one. Collier, who has been Unrivaled’s most dominant player this season, advanced to the second round after beating Katie Lou Samuelson 12-6 in the opener. Jackson beat Jackie Young 11-3 in another upset.
Prediction: Napheesa Collier advances
Courtney Williams vs Rhyne Howard: Williams had a bye in the first round, while Howard beat Lexie Hull 12-7. Howard (who is 6’2) has the height advantage against the 5’8 Williams. But, this should be a battle between two prolific and competitive shot creators.
Prediction: Courtney Williams advances
Skylar Diggins-Smith vs Arike Ogunbowale: Diggins-Smith has been on a tear this Unrivaled season and continued things with an 11-3 defeat of Dearica Hamby in the first round. Ogunbowale was voted by fans and the media to have a bye in the first round, and both will have a tall task in trying to slow down the other.
Prediction: Skylar Diggins-Smitha advances
DiJonai Carrington vs Satou Sabally: Both Carrington and Sabally had a bye in the first round, and both players will face one another in the second.
Prediction: Satou Sabally advances
Unrivaled
In addition, Aaliyah Edwards, who defeated Breanna Stewart 12-0 in the first round of the tournament, advances to the quarterfinals with a bye in the second round.
After the second round concludes, gameplay will begin, with players facing off in the quarterfinals. Then, on Friday, Feb. 14, the tournament will crown a winner, with both the semi-finals and finals slated to take place.
You can watch all the action on TruTV on Tuesday at 7pm.
