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After a hiatus for the second edition of the 1-on-1 Tournament, won in epic fashion by Chelsea Gray, Unrivaled resumes fullcourt 3×3 action in Sephora Arena on Tuesday evening, finishing out the Week 5 schedule.
However, the league also announced that it will again take its talents beyond Miami before a Season 2 champion is crowned, as the semifinals of the Unrivaled playoffs will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. While the first round and championship game will take place in Miami, the four semifinal squads will meet for two games on Mar. 2 in front of an anticipated sold-out crowd of 17,532.
Laces, in action on Tuesday, can move a step closer to guaranteeing that they are one of the clubs that will make the semifinal trek to Brooklyn. The top two seeds in the Unrivaled standings will earn a bye to the semifinals. As the No. 1 seed, Laces, already having clinched a playoff berth, are in position to earn that privilege.
Their opponent, in contrast, has a lot of work to do. Tuesday’s game is a near must-win for Hive (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV), sitting in seventh place.
Last time out, Hive scored an upset over Breeze. They’ll be looking to build on that momentum with a boost from Azurá Stevens. Stevens was part of the three-player swap that saw Saniya Rivers depart Hive for Vinyl. Stevens not only brings much needed size, an issue for Hive due to the inconsistent availability of Ezi Magbegor, but also size with shooting. The potential of two big lineups with Stevens and Monique Billings will unlock more options for Hive, which, along with a more confident looking Sonia Citron and comfortable Kelsey Mitchell, should make the club a competitive out for all opponents—including league-best Laces.
It would be surprising if Hive against lost by almost 20 points, as they did the first time these teams faced off.
Laces, however, should be rested and ready to resume their run towards the championship. Only two team members competed in the 1-on-1 Tournament, and Brittney Sykes’ stay was quite short. After returning to Ann Arbor to see her No. 00 raised to the rafters, Naz Hillmon might be inspired to unleashed a Michigan-era offensive explosion. Hive already experienced a Wolverine-esque performance from Hillmon, as she had a 15-point and 13-rebound double-double, plus the game winner, in the first matchup.
Whether it’s Naz or someone else who steps up and makes big buckets, expect Laces to, once again, get the win.
How will Courtney Williams boost Breeze?
Breeze has had plenty of time to reflect on their loss to Hive. Just when it seemed like Unrivaled’s youngsters were ready to assert themselves as legitimate contenders, and possibly become a favorite to make the semis in Brooklyn, they choked away a shoulda-been comfortable win.
Since then, Aari McDonald has been ruled out for the season, resulting in Breeze acquiring Courtney Williams from Vinyl as part of the in-season three-player trade. As Williams mentioned when appearing on the Unrivaled broadcast a few weeks ago, she’s been on five teams in her WNBA career, with two separate stops with the Connecticut Sun. She’s well-accustomed to adapting her game to fit new circumstances, suggesting she won’t have a problem providing what Breeze needs.
Most importantly, she will give the club another reliable ball handler. While Paige Bueckers absolutely should remain the primary initiator for Breeze, Court can run things when Paige needs a breather, in addition to occasionally allowing Bueckers to work off the ball. A Paige who can be weaponized in even more ways makes Breeze more dangerous, and with Williams now in the fold, a bigger Paige playbook is now possible.
When Bueckers is on the bench, Williams should work the two-woman game with Dominique Malonga and Cameron Brink. Ranking fifth in Unrivaled in assists per game, despite a moderate minute load with Vinyl, Williams is an eager playmaker who will be happy to put Dom and Cam in position for easier buckets.
But, a Tuesday win won’t be easy for Breeze, as Lunar Owls’ slim chances of, first, making the playoffs and, next, advancing to the semis in Brooklyn, requires a win (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV). In last place in spite of their in-season improvement, another loss would all-but-officially eliminate Owls from postseason contention.
To keep their postseason ambitions alive, Lunar Owls should continue to lean into their improved offensive processes. Instead of relying on Marina Mabrey and Aaliyah Edwards to do everything, the club, benefitting from Skylar Diggins’ insertion into the starting lineup and ability to play a full minute load, has experimented with a variety of offensive sets that better optimize all their players’ talents: rolls to the rim from Temi Fágbénlé, post ups for Marina Mabrey, quick trigger 3s from Rachel Banham and drives from Diggins.
Owls have also improved defensively, although that’s come with a cost.
The league leaders in fouls per game, the club has lost out on potential contributions from players who have fouled out. As Breeze has drawn the most fouls per game, Lunar Owls’ excess hacking risks turning a possible win into another loss.
