Lynx’s Napheesa Collier and Clare Duwelius lead Unrivaled

The play is wide open and frenetic, as the games are played on a slightly smaller version of a full court. The shot clock is 18 seconds, encouraging a fast pace of play. The team that is leading after three quarters has 11 points added to its total to determine the number of points required to win the game, ensuring that every game ends with a winning shot.

Collier lengthened her ever-expanding résumé by winning the league’s midseason one-on-one tourney, and her team, the Lunar Owls, is in first place.

“Basketballwise, I always had a lot of faith in myself, so I knew I could achieve those things,” Collier said. “But building a league? I never would have thought that was possible. When the opportunity arises, you have to take advantage of it, and I’m so happy we did it.”

Duwelius starred at Dowling Catholic in Des Moines before Caitlin Clark did. She joined the Lynx as basketball operations coordinator after the team had won its first two titles. She had front-row seats and backroom duties while women’s basketball became a growth stock.

The Unrivaled regular season runs through March 10, with playoffs scheduled for March 16 and 17.

“This is the hottest sport, across the board,” Duwelius said. “It’s really cool to be a part of it in real time and to see the shift and evolution of the sport. Years ago in the WNBA, we felt like we were in a constant fight, and we were happy to take on that fight because we knew our worth and we knew our sport was deserving of so much more.