2025 will be an exciting year for women’s basketball. Not only are the Golden State Valkyries set to join the WNBA, but a whole new women’s league will be kicking off. Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, will feature several of the biggest names in women’s basketball.
Collier and Stewart, who just led their respective teams to the 2024 WNBA Finals, will be playing alongside Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, Alyssa Thomas, Arike Ogunbowale, and Satou Sabally, to name only a few.
The long-awaited start of the season is almost here. While we do not know yet which teams will emerge as the best in the league or which rivalries will develop throughout the season, there are a few early-season matchups that are must-watch TV for WNBA fans.
Mist vs. Lunar Owls on January 17
The first Unrivaled game will feature the Mist and the Lunar Owls at 7 PM ET on TNT. It is not only a chance for the league to get off on the right foot, but also for fans to watch an incredibly intriguing matchup. The game will feature a rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals between Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Seattle Storm fans will also get to see the much-anticipated reunion of Stewart and Jewell Loyd. The duo won two championships with the Storm and were placed on the same Unrivaled roster due to fans’ requests to see them playing together once again.
Phantom vs. Laces on January 18
Most of the rosters for the Unrivaled season were put together without fans knowing who the final three players in the league would be. There were supposed to be only two wild cards, but then Kelsey Plum dropped out and left another spot to be filled. Cameron Brink and Katie Lou Samuelson took the first two spots, and the final player turned out to be one of Unrivaled’s biggest signings yet: Sabrina Ionescu.
This will be the first Unrivaled game featuring Ionescu, but that is not all. Ionescu will have to go up against Kayla McBride in a rematch of the most recent WNBA Finals. Fans will also get a first glance at Kate Martin after her rookie season with the Aces. Despite playing little, Martin quickly became a favorite in Las Vegas, and fans cannot wait to see her fill a bigger role for the Golden State Valkyries.
Rose vs. Vinyl on January 17
This game will be especially interesting for Angel Reese and Chicago Sky fans. Not only will Reese go up against her former head coach, Teresa Weatherspoon, but it will also be a first chance to see how she has developed over the offseason. Reese has been working on her 3-point shot, and this game will be the first chance for her to show off her improvements against Aliyah Boston, one of the best young bigs in the game.
On top of that, the game will be on national TV and provide several players with the opportunity to immediately impress fans. Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, and Rhyne Howard are always ready to put on a show as scorers.
The final day of the 1v1 tournament
In mid-February, Unrivaled will go on a short break, playing a 1v1 tournament that stretches over three days. The tournament offers cash prizes and ultimate bragging rights. After all, Unrivaled features most of the top women’s basketball players in the league, and this tournament will determine the best 1-on-1 player in that group. It certainly will be must-watch TV for all WNBA fans.
It may even be interesting to NBA fans. For years now, fans have been debating ways to fix the NBA’s All-Star Game. A 1v1 tournament has been brought up frequently. Unrivaled will finally give fans what they are asking for. With players like Arike Ogunbowale, Courtney Williams, Jackie Young, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, and Marina Mabrey all putting on a show, it is almost guaranteed to be a huge success.
The final matchups on February 14 should be the most entertaining.