Unrivaled: Behind MVP-level play from Bueckers, Breeze’s time is now

Coming off their best win of the season, a 25-point showpiece against defending champion Rose, talk of a Unrivaled championship run is not bluster for Breeze.

Up to No. 3 in Josh Felton’s latest Unrivaled power rankings, Breeze can build momentum when they meet their fellow Unrivaled newcomer, Hive, on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV).

The win over Rose showed how high Breeze’s ceiling can be, as the game-to-game brilliance of Paige Bueckers was supported by optimized efforts from her teammates.

Not only did Dominique Malonga offer up her near-automatic double-double, with an efficient 18 points and 11 rebounds, but Rickea Jackson had her most-efficient 20-point game of the season, which she supplemented with nine rebounds. Although she only attempted two shots, Kate Martin made them both, plus a free throw, as she finished with seven points and four boards.

And on the sidelines, head coach Noelle Quinn is smiling through it all. After a somewhat embattled 2025 season with the Seattle Storm, she can’t believe this is her life.

Paige, of course, is the key that unlocks the best of Breeze.

Against Rose, she showcased a more aggressive scoring mindset, using her scoring to open her playmaking, rather than opting to set up her teammates before getting her own. An aggressive Paige is the best Paige. If she consistently turns up her scoring dial from the jump, collecting more wins could be a Breeze for this club.

If Breeze is approaching their ceiling, Hive, in contrast, is trying to avoid the floor.

Last in Josh’s power rankings, Hive’s shooting issues have a become a size problem. Early in the season, the club struggled to make shots, and although they still have the worst shooting percentage in the league, steady improvement by Kelsey Mitchell, plus Sonia Citron’s long-awaited Unrivaled breakout, suggests Hive is moving in the right direction. Ezi Magbegor’s recent injury absence, however, has left Monique Billings as Hive’s lone big, and while Mo is giving it her all, a single 6-foot-4 player is not enough.

While Unrivaled can be unpredictable, all the stats and signs point towards a Breeze win.

Don’t count out a Lunar Owls playoff chase

Despite the loss, Lunar Owls’ last game was encouraging.

Not only were they right there with Phantom for the first three quarters before running out of steam in the fourth, but it’s also about how Owls kept pace with Phantom. After her explosion in Philly, it would be easier for Lunar Owls to simply hope for another Marina Mabrey heater.

Just feed the ball to Marina and let her fire away!

Instead, Owls successfully leveraged Mabrey’s shooting gravity, using the defensive attention she occupied to set up the Skylar Diggins-Temi Fágbénlé two-woman game, with Skylar finding Temi for wide-open, rim-running baskets. Head coach DJ Sackmann also had Mabrey look to take advantage of smaller defenders in the post. While Mabrey still shot 12 triples, Owls were not dependent on her 3-point shooting to generate offensive opportunities.

Such strategic diversity and flexibility will be needed on Friday night, when Lunar Owls meet Laces, Unrivaled’s best defensive team (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV).

It will also be interesting to see how Lunar Owls choose to deploy Aaliyah Edwards, if she returns from her hand injury. Although she has been highly productive, the starting trio of Mabrey, Diggins and Fágbénlé has begun to establish a nice rhythm. Possibly, Owls will look to have Edwards eat in an off-the-bench role, especially since Rachel Banham and Rebecca Allen have struggled to provide consistent scoring.