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Gen Z stars have changed college and professional women’s basketball. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and others have broken records, changed the way players’ brands are viewed, and brought many eyes to the WNBA. Their impact is undeniable, but it’s no reason to ignore, forget, or discredit all of the stars who came before them. The majority of fans already know this, but some “fans” still insist that the league was nothing before this influx of young stars.
When it comes to winning, professional basketball is still dominated by older stars. A’ja Wilson led the Aces to another championship and was named MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP, Chelsea Gray won the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament and regular-season MVP award, and, last but not least, Breanna Stewart just carried the Mist to an Unrivaled championship.
Breanna Stewart was great in the championship game
It’s been a while since fans were able to see Stewart healthy and at full strength. She played through an injury last winter and also struggled with knee issues during the 2025 WNBA season with the Liberty. When Unrivaled’s second season rolled around, the league’s co-founder was finally healthy—and she played like it.
Led by Stewart and Allisha Gray, the Mist quickly emerged as one of the favorites to win this year’s championship. They fulfilled their potential in a thrilling 80-74 win over the Phantom despite a 40-point performance from Kelsey Plum.
Stewart matched Plum’s scoring prowess. She put up 32 points on 11-15 shooting, including 3-4 from three. Without Aliyah Boston, the Phantom struggled to defend Stewart. She also left her mark on the other side of the floor, recording 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Young stars are rising, but the vets aren’t going anywhere
Over the last two seasons, young stars played their way into the All-Star and All-WNBA conversations. Aliyah Boston, Cailtin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen all made All-Star teams in their rookie seasons. In 2024, Clark also made the All-WNBA First Team. Bueckers and Boston made the second team in 2025.
The rise of those young stars is great for the league. Their brands reach well beyond the basketball court and get fans excited to watch games at a higher rate than ever.
At the same time, however, it’s still veterans who play the best basketball in the W and Unrivaled. The 2025 All-WNBA First Team was filled with veteran stars: A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray, and Kelsey Mitchell. Nneka Ogwumike, Jackie Young, and Sabrina Ionescu rounded out the second team alongside Boston and Bueckers.
Four of the six All-Unrivaled team spots were also taken up by veteran stars in Chelsea Gray, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Brittney Sykes.
Those players won’t go anywhere for quite some time, even as younger stars continue to get better and better.
