The first day of Unrivaled brought forth four competitive games featuring all 8 of the league’s teams. To kick things off in the afternoon, the Mist beat the Hive 72-56, and the Laces beat the Vinyl 58-42. Then, on primetime, the defending champion Rose Club blew out the Lunar Owls 80-60, and the Breeze edged out the Phantom 69-62.
Paige Bueckers and 5 other top performers from Unrivaled’s opening day
Chelsea Gray exploded for 35 points, Allisha Gray powered the Mist with 12 high-impact minutes — and other standouts from Unrivaled’s Opening Day.
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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 full-court, fast-paced 3-on-3 format has allowed a broad range of players to show off their skill sets. Here’s who stood out on Day 1.
1. Chelsea Gray, Rose Club
Chelsea Gray began the Unrivaled season with a 35-point, 8-assist, 5-rebound, 3-steal game, as the Rose Club blew out the Lunar Owls 80-60 to start the year 1-0. Gray led the Rose Club to an Unrivaled championship last year and followed that up with the Las Vegas Aces’ third WNBA title in four seasons. Back in Miami, it looks like she hasn’t skipped a beat.
2. Paige Bueckers, Breeze Club
In her first-ever Unrivaled game, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year dropped 24 points to go along with 6 assists and 2 blocks. Paige Bueckers led the Breeze to a 69-62 win over the Phantom and quickly established herself as one of the top players in the league.
3. Allisha Gray, Mist Club
Allisha Gray is fresh off her best WNBA season yet and had a strong showing on Unrivaled opening day. The Atlanta Dream star tallied 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, leading the Mist to a 72-56 win over the Hive. Perhaps most impressively? She did it all in just 12 minutes.
4. Azura Stevens, Rose Club
Azura Stevens is also coming off her best WNBA season, in which she emerged as a legitimate Most Improved Player candidate, anchoring the frontcourt of the Los Angeles Sparks. In the Rose Club’s 80-60 win over the Lunar Owls, Stevens tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 10 minutes of action.
5. Brittney Sykes, Laces Club
Brittney Sykes posted 19 points and 7 rebounds in just 13 minutes, playing an instrumental part in the Laces’ 58-42 victory over the Vinyl. Sykes, who was an All-Star for the first time last season, instantly looked like one of the league’s more formidable scorers on Day 1.
6. Aaliyah Edwards, Lunar Owls
Aaliyah Edwards tallied a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double on opening day. Edwards had an up-and-down sophomore season in the WNBA; she was traded from the Washington Mystics to the Connecticut Sun after largely falling out of Washington’s rotation, and turned into
Honorable mentions: Marina Mabrey (Lunar Owls), Tiffany Hayes (Phantom), Aliyah Boston (Phantom), Monique Billings (Hive), Rickea Jackson (Breeze), Dominique Malonga (Breeze)
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