The second season of Unrivaled, the women’s basketball 3×3 series founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is officially underway. This season marks the debut for some and the establishment of veteran status for others. The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun is producing both of these types of players.
Players Saniya Rivers, Marina Mabrey, and Aaliyah Edwards have all started the season strong in their own ways. Their ability to bring their skills and transform from the WNBA to better highlight them as players is what makes this league so special.
With there being only six players total on the court at a time, players have much more space to create an impact, and these Connecticut Sun players are doing nothing short of that.
It’s a Block Party for Saniya Rivers
After being left off the WNBA’s All-Defensive First and Second Teams for the 2025 season, Rivers has been able to showcase her strong defensive abilities with Hive BC. This group is one of the two newest additions to Unrivaled’s second season.
Although Rivers’ second game with the Hive BC resulted in a loss, it certainly was not because of her defensive skills. Rivers recorded six blocks, the most of any Unrivaled player this season. This comes as no surprise, after her rookie season (2025) in the WNBA, where she recorded 38 blocks. This was the most out of the entire rookie class, plus any other guard in the league.
Head Coach of Hive BC and Assistant Coach of the Chicago Sky, Rena Wakama, further elaborated on Rivers’ ability to bring a strong defensive element to the 3×3 league.
“I can’t compare her to anybody else but herself. She’s talented. She affects the game on she can guard anybody. So I don’t think of anybody, I only think of Saniya.” Wakama stated.
Unrivaled Is the Place to Be for Aaliyah Edwards
Following last season, where Edwards pulled off an epic performance in the 1-on-1 challenge, the star forward is back for Unrivaled’s second season. Last season, Edwards shocked everyone as the #8 seed, taking on the #1 seed Breanna Stewart, where she then continued to shut her out in a 12-0, under-two-minute win in the semifinal.
Edwards has continued to bring her dominance to the Lunar Owls BC, after being on the Mist BC for Unrivaled’s first season. In the Owls’ first win of this season, Edwards recorded 13 points, 18 boards, and three assists. She has proven herself to be a very well-rounded player so far, even this early in the season.
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Unrivaled is the place for Edwards’ skills to truly shine, much more than in the WNBA. During the 2025 WNBA season, Edwards was averaging 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. This looks like next to nothing when, as of right now, the forward is averaging 22 points and 12.8 rebounds in Unrivaled.
A Stellar Comeback for Marina Mabrey
So far this season, Mabrey is yet another player using Unrivaled as a space to showcase her well-rounded ability. Currently, the star player is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game on the Lunar Owls BC. These stats make her one of two players to be in the top 10 in each of these stats, alongside Breeze BC player Paige Bueckers.
Following last season, when the athlete was only able to showcase her skills in three games due to injury, Mabrey is using this season to her advantage. She has also been able to showcase her intensity as a player, fully mirroring who she is during the WNBA season.
Her intensity has led to competitiveness, resulting in a technical foul for the team in the Owls’ first game of the season. The game itself was filled with a hunger for the group’s first win of the season, which resulted in exactly what they wanted: a 68-57 final against Vinyl BC. Mabrey also finished the game with 31 points and nine rebounds.
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Through a breathtaking few weeks of Unrivaled basketball, the Connecticut Sun players have flourished.
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