Paige Bueckers vs. Kate Martin and more must-see Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament matchups

This week, Unrivaled will pause its regularly scheduled 3-on-3 games to deliver what could be the most entertaining women’s basketball event of the year so far. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Unrivaled will kick off its 1-on-1 tournament. 32 of the best players will face off for a shot at the $200,000 first-place prize and maybe some bragging rights.

This season, Unrivaled asked fans for help creating the final bracket. The 32 participating players were split into four position-based pods. Fans then ranked each pod’s players from 1 to 8. The votes were tallied to create the official bracket. And upon first glance, there are some incredibly intriguing matchups.

*All times are for Wednesday, February 11, 2026*

Sonia Citron vs. Marina Mabrey — 7:30 p.m. ET

While both of their squads might be struggling, both Citron and Mabrey are having great individual success at Unrivaled this season. Mabrey is averaging a league-leading 26.8 points per game, while Citron is averaging 16.6 per game. Both can shoot the ball well from three, so this could quickly turn into a heat check competition. Although they also both definitely have a deep bag of craftiness in the paint.

If you go back a little further than Unrivaled, both are Notre Dame women’s basketball alums. And a fun fact, Marina Mabrey’s sister, Michaela, has been the assistant coach at Notre Dame since 2019. She was also named recruiting coordinator in 2022, bringing in Sonia Citron and acting as her position coach throughout her college career. So, these two might know each other’s moves better than you think.

Dominique Malonga vs. Aaliyah Edwards — 8:15 p.m. ET

I’m expecting this matchup to be electric. With Aaliyah being a fan-favorite to win it all after her dominant performance in last year’s tournament, Dom Malonga will be an early challenge. These have been two of the biggest, young in-the-paint threats at Unrivaled this season. Edwards is averaging a league-leading 13.6 rebounds per game. Malonga is third in the league, averaging 10.9 rebounds per game. This pairing will be battling under the basket, and that will make for a very entertaining matchup. Malonga has a couple of inches on Edwards, but I don’t think it will make too much of a difference. This one will be all about whose post defense is better.

Jordin Canada vs. Skylar Diggins — 8:45 p.m. ET

Skylar Diggins is going into this matchup as the favorite, but I still think it’ll be a battle worth watching. You can expect a fast-paced contest with some crafty shooting. Diggins is great from beyond-the-arc, but she will most likely make Canada play some defense against her unmatched speed when driving to the basket. Canada, on the other hand, I wouldn’t count her out just yet. She’s coming off a 14-point game, shooting 6-of-10 in only 13 minutes in the Laces’ latest matchup. I can’t wait to see how these two approach defending one another.

Paige Bueckers vs. Kate Martin — 9:00 p.m. ET

Some Breeze vs. Breeze action. This is another matchup between two of the brightest young stars at Unrivaled. Bueckers is third in the league, averaging 25.0 points per game, and we all know her bag is as deep as it gets. It seems like Paige can make it from anywhere, anytime. But Kate Martin has some moves, as well. She can get over her defenders in the paint, and can shoot well from three; they don’t call her “Money Martin” for nothing.

Bueckers is not only a favorite in this battle, but of the whole tournament, too. Although I still do not think Kate Martin is going to let her run away with it that easily, even if her reaction to the bracket looked a little dissatisfied.

Alyssa Thomas vs. Aliyah Boston — 10:45 p.m. ET

You will want to stay up for the final show of the night. This is one I, like many fans, was really hoping we’d get to see. Thomas and Boston are two of the most physical and dominant forwards, not only at Unrivaled but in the WNBA as a whole. AB has the size advantage, but AT’s demeanor in the paint is one of the most forceful in women’s basketball. She’s nicknamed “The Engine” because of her relentlessness and efficiency. If she wants a bucket, she’ll do just about anything to get it.

Boston has a similar attitude in the paint, but she gets into a bit more trouble than Thomas. Last WNBA season, Boston led the league in personal fouls with 136 total in the regular season. There’s no doubt this pairing will be the most physical of the tournament, and could get a bit chippy. Let’s just say, they saved the best for last, and I’d hate to be a ref in this matchup.

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