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Unrivaled brings innovation, which includes a 1-on-1 Tournament in the middle of the season.
The rules are simple. Each game is first to 11 points or 10 minutes of play, whichever comes first. It’s make-it, take-it style, with a running clock and a shot clock of seven seconds per possession. Players are competing for part of a $350,000 prize pool, with the winner getting $200,000.
The first round began on Monday night, and there were some exciting results:
Napheesa Collier beats Katie Lou Samuelson
We don’t know where Katie Lou will play in the WNBA in 2025, but we do know she’s been eliminated from the 1-on-1 Tournament, losing to Collier 12-6. This result is unsurprising; Phee was the top seed, and Samuelson sat eighth. During Unrivaled regular season play, Collier has been unstoppable, averaging a league-high 29.3 points.
Shakira Austin upsets Chelsea Gray
With Austin as the seventh seed and Gray as the second seed, most thought the Point Gawd would win. However, Austin went 5-for-9, and Gray struggled, only making one field goal. This led to our first upset of the tournament, with Austin winning 12-2.
Kahleah Copper dominates Aliyah Boston
Boston has struggled a lot in Unrivaled, and the 1-on-1 tournament was no exception. Copper was just too quick for Boston. She finished the matchup on a 4-0 run, converting on her free throw points and scoring the game-clinching basket on a left-side drive to the basket.
Rhyne Howard closes out strong vs. Lexie Hull
This game was one of the more intriguing of the first round. Howard was dominant as ever, starting out on an 8-0 run. But Hull responded by scoring seven unanswered. With not much game time left, Howard tightened up and scored two more baskets to secure the result.
Skylar Diggins-Smith smokes Dearica Hamby
Mark this contest as an upset, even though Hamby was the No. 5 seed and Diggins-Smith was the No. 4 seed. I honestly thought Hamby’s perfect combination of size and quickness would overwhelm SDS. However, Diggins-Smith dominated the entire way and Hamby never stood a chance against the veteran guard.
Allisha Gray tops Jordin Canada
Some of these battles have been big vs. small, but Gray vs. Canada is a perfect matchup. This game was just two guards going at each other. Gray has been in top form in Unrivaled, and this 1-on-1 tournament is no exception. Gray was able to win because she got in a groove, not allowing Canada to regain possession and cruising to an 11-4 win.
Rickea Jackson attacks Jackie Young
Personally, I’ve felt Young is a bit overrated and Jackson is underrated. This result fits my agenda, and I think that’s because Jackson is a dominant wing, and Young couldn’t stop her in any way. The Sparks rookie won this game, 11-3.
Aaliyah Edwards shuts out Breanna Stewart
This result is why I don’t think we’ll ever see this kind of contest in the NBA. Given this short burst of action, a blowout can happen to anyone, and an embarrassing loss can happen quickly.
That’s exactly what happened in this game, as Edwards beat Stewie 12-0. If you miss a couple of shots and your opponent has the hot hand, suddenly you are done. That’s where Stewart found herself, and she took home the worst loss of the night.
Key takeaways
You really have no room for errors in 1-on-1 play. If you miss a couple of baskets, suddenly, you’re in a hole and you can’t dig out of it. I’ll be interested to see if we get more upsets in the second round, especially with the players who have yet to play in this 1-on-1 setting.
The second round begins Tuesday, Feb. 11 and can be viewed on TruTV and MAX.
