Unrivaled Season 2: 5 things we most want to see, including dunks, surprise stars and WNBA clashes

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Unrivaled is back again for season 2 with a deep roster of elite talent, a long roll of social media content and a bevy of storylines to follow.

The second season features two expansion teams, Breeze BC and Hive BC, for a total of eight clubs, and will include a six-player developmental pool to serve as in-house injury replacements. There are 54 WNBA players competing in Miami — and, for one night, in Philadelphia — this winter in the 3×3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

Rose BC won the inaugural title and returns Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Azurá Stevens and Lexie Hull. Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton complete the roster in place of Angel Reese (not playing) and Brittney Sykes (Laces BC). The Vinyl finished as surprise runner-ups after a slow start, entering the playoff picture as a result of a sequence of tiebreakers. Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby, the only teammates to rank top five in scoring, return to the club.

The season begins on Monday with the Vinyl and Laces (2:15 p.m. ET on truTV). Games will be played Fridays through Mondays on TNT and TruTV. Here are five things we most want to see this month in Unrivaled action.

A dunklist beyond BG

Brittney Griner secured the honor of first dunk in Unrivaled history when she put one down deep into the inaugural season on March 3. The league is already looking for who will join the ranks — or how many Griner will add — with a few top candidates working on it in practices already.

Dominique Malonga delivered on a pass from newcomer Paige Bueckers, and Breeze teammate Rickea Jackson surely was somewhere smiling that she wasn’t involved. Malonga, the second overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, hasn’t dunked in a WNBA game yet, but will have ample opportunity in Unrivaled. Phantom BC forward Kiki Iriafen dunked with ease.

Best and biggest crashout

A crashout for the ages could be coming any time the Lunar Owls take the court. Marina Mabrey is one of the most animated players on any court and became a well-used meme when she talked herself out of a crashout last summer with the Connecticut Sun.

Teammate Skylar Diggins, a returning member of Lunar Owls, is also known for her on-court theatrics. The one who might keep them calm is Napheesa Collier, but they’ll be without her on the court this season after she announced on Thursday she’s undergoing surgery, reportedly on both her ankles.

Stats on the climb

Will a team cross the century threshold in a game this year? The Lunar Owls hold the mark with 94 points in a win over Phantom in February, and the team followed it up with two 92-point games in March. Can a player crack 40 or 50? And can anyone eclipse Reese’s 20-point, 20-rebound showing?

The Lunar Owls set the tone as a team with a +170 point differential that was 136 points ahead of the second-best team, Rose (+34). They won by an average of 12 points per game, but took an early and unexpected exit in the first game of the playoffs. They will look different this year with only Diggins returning, and Golden State Valkyries forward Temi Fágbénlé replacing Collier. They’re joined by Mabrey, Rachel Banham, Rebecca Allen and Aaliyah Edwards.

Collier will leave a large void in the league as the inaugural 1-on-1 tournament champion who led the league in scoring (25.7 ppg), steals (2.0) and blocks (1.4) as one of four players averaging a double-double. Reese led on the boards (12.1), but did not sign on to play this year. Gray led in assists (5.4).

Napheesa Collier led unrivaled in scoring, steals and blocks last year, so who will step up in her place as she sits out after surgery? (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

(Megan Briggs via Getty Images)

Star made from the developmental pool

Unrivaled opted for a developmental pool this year to keep rosters full should there be injuries, and there were a handful a year ago. The focus on player health and safety both avoids potential game cancellations and helps build a larger talent pool within the league.

Could any of them break through for a standout performance in Unrivaled? It would be fun to see the way fans latch onto the success of hardship players such as Aari McDonald with the Fever and Sug Sutton’s rise from Ms. Irrelevant.

The inaugural developmental group consists of Hailey Van Lith, Aziaha James, Haley Jones, Emily Engstler, Laeticia Amihere and Makayla Timpson. Van Lith is the most notable. The Chicago Sky draft pick is a multi-medal winner in 3×3 with a bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and gold at the 2019 FIBA U18 World Cup, where she won MVP.

WNBA teammates going head-to-head

There are connections all over the Unrivaled rosters that include time in college, WNBA and overseas. While all have the potential for chaos, a few stand out and come up fairly quickly in the schedule.

Collier honorarily awarded her 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award to Minnesota Lynx teammate Alanna Smith, who earned her own in a tie with A’ja Wilson this past season. Smith is new to Unrivaled, and her Mist will face Collier’s Lunar Owls on Jan. 17.

Hive BC guard Kelsey Mitchell is also new to the league and will go up against her WNBA big, Aliyah Boston of Phantom BC, on Jan. 18. The Fever’s McDonald (Breeze) and Hull (Rose) are also playing.

Jackie Young (Laces) and Gray (Rose) did not face each other many times a year ago as Young sat out some games. Their first meeting is also Jan. 18.

Allisha Gray (Mist) will face off with Atlanta teammates Rhyne Howard and Griner (Vinyl) for the first time on Jan. 25. And in one of potentially the most fun meetings, former Aces teammates and good friends Kelsey Plum (Phantom) and Dearica Hamby (Vinyl) will meet on Jan. 23.

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