In preparation for the upcoming WNBA season, New York Liberty players have been putting in the work with Unrivaled.
Unrivaled, the newly founded 3-on-3 league has made a great contribution to helping these pro athletes home in on their ball skills. The season may have started stronger than it finished due to injuries and other reasons for dropping out.
Either way, Unrivaled is here to stay.
Breanna Stewart’s Creation a Massive Success
Breanna Stewart co-founded the league and averaged 19.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for Mist BC. Compared to the 2024 WNBA season, Stewart put up 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
The two leagues are very different, and her playing time drastically differed between them (16.8 minutes in Unrivaled and 32.7 minutes in the WNBA).
In addition to the 3-on-3 setup, Unrivaled hosted a 1-on-1 tournament, with Napheesa Collier coming out as the first-ever champion. Stewart participated and played Mist teammate Aaliyah Edwards in the first round. Edwards sent Stewie packing her bags, winning 12-0.
Stewart’s creation of Unrivaled was a large success. Mist didn’t make playoffs and finished their record 5-9. Regardless, Stewie will be seen playing for the league next season.
https://twitter.com/breannastewart/status/1901797735726199196
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s Limited Unrivaled Stint
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton played as a relief player for Laces BC.
In her season debut, she hit the game-winner against Phantom and dropped 23 points, but Laney-Hamilton’s Unrivaled season came to an early end with an undisclosed injury. It is unclear if she will be ready by the Liberty’s training camp at the end of April. She also missed some of the last WNBA season due to a minor knee surgery.
Sabrina Ionescu Shined As Expected
Sabrina Ionescu averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in nine games with Phantom BC. These were similar to her 2024 WNBA numbers, where she averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.
Ionescu left Phantom BC at the beginning of March, just a week before playoffs began due to prior commitments to tour with Nike in Asia.
https://twitter.com/nicekicks/status/1899813456846471250
Sab stayed consistent throughout both seasons with similar stat lines. Given she had surgery on her UCL before the season, she still had a successful run. There is no guarantee that Ionescu will return to Unrivaled next season, but the fanbase sure hopes so.
Natasha Cloud Already Settling In
Sab’s teammate in the offseason, Natasha Cloud, has just become her teammate for the Liberty as well.
Cloud was part of the very first trade to happen in Unrivaled, moving from Laces to Owls and then to Phantom. Cloud averaged 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. She played for Phoenix Mercury in the last WNBA season and averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.
Unrivaled Marks a Turning Point for Women’s Sports
Not only has Unrivaled been a basketball turning point for women’s sports, but it also produces the highest salary for any pro women’s sports league ever.
New York Liberty players have had a large impact on the program, from founding the league to hitting the game-winners. Using the whole offseason as preparation, the Liberty stays a top contender for playoffs this upcoming season.
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