With one week until the second season of Unrivaled tips off, it’s time to look at what teams have the best chance at winning it all. Rose BC took home the trophy last season, but with two new clubs joining the league and rosters reshaped, the door is wide open for a new champion.
The Top Three
While looking at the rosters, new faces strengthen some clubs more than others. However, one team in particular has a majority of last season's players returning: Rose BC.
Rose BC:
Rose BC won the championship in Unrivaled's inaugural season, and four players will return to defend their title. Given last year's chemistry, we can expect this club to get off to a fast start.
Although the team lost Angel Reese and Brittney Sykes from last season, Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton will help fill those roles. Austin returns to Unrivaled following her best season to date in the WNBA, and should complement Azurá Stevens' floor-spacing and shooting abilities.
THE ROSE DID IT! Congratulations to the first ever Unrivaled Champions Rose BC pic.twitter.com/qtlLTZ3qcI
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) March 18, 2025
The team will welcome back Lexie Hull, who is coming off a tremendous 2025 season with the Indiana Fever. Stevens also returns after posting the best WNBA season of her career, while Chelsea Gray is fresh off another championship run with the Las Vegas Aces. Gray was named the Unrivaled Finals MVP last season, and Sutton is a solid guard who can provide production when Gray needs rest.
The team will also be bringing back Kahleah Copper, who missed much of last Unrivaled season due to injury. Now healthy, the Philly native can provide a bucket from anywhere on the court.
With a healthy Copper, a hot-shooting Hull from beyond the arc, and the ever-clutch Gray all returning, Rose BC may be the most dangerous club to open the season.
Laces BC:
Last season, there was a ton of hype surrounding the Laces BC, which featured a core of Jackie Young, Alyssa Thomas, and Kayla McBride. Unfortunately, the team battled long-standing injuries and finished the season 7-7.
Now, the Laces welcome back Young and Thomas, two players who were featured in the 2025 WNBA Finals. Defensive threats, Young and Thomas are among the most elite two-way players in the game. Meanwhile, Thomas was in the 2025 WNBA MVP conversation.
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Losing McBride is a devastating blow. However, gaining Brittney Sykes and Naz Hillmon, two players who had a key impact in Rose BC's championship run, is crucial. To add, Hillmon was named the WNBA's Sixth Player of the Year last season. The Laces have multiple players with prior 3x3 experience from the Olympics, making this team an even bigger threat.
The squad also acquired Maddy Siegrist and Jordin Canada, who are both well-rounded offensive and defensive threats. With Canada and Sykes's speed, along with Siegrist's floor spacing prowess, this leaves the Laces with an opportunity to gamble with rotations if Coach Andrew Wade deems it fit.
Mist BC:
Mist is a promising team, which probably comes as a surprise, as the club finished 5-9 last season. On paper, this roster looks amazing. Although Breanna Stewart is the sole returning player, this club has added a lot of talent.
Overall, Mist has the 2025 WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year (Alanna Smith), Most Improved Player of the Year (Veronica Burton), and Allisha Gray, who is coming off arguably her best season in the WNBA.
No Mistie left behind 🌫️
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) December 17, 2025
Welcome to the chat, @breannastewart! https://t.co/aZRWmnMOmB pic.twitter.com/I4sCoqpZwG
This is a roster that has three players over 6'3", which enables the ability to run double-bigs for a good stretch. Li Yueru is a tall talent, though 3x3 is fast-paced action, which she may struggle with. However, Yueru is coming off a well-rounded season with the Dallas Wings and can provide a quick bucket when needed. Having two top-end three-point shooters in Burton and Gray makes this roster's ceiling higher than last season.
On top of the talent, Mist also boasts impressive depth. Arike Ogunbowale may come off the bench depending on how often Head Coach Zach O’Brien opts for a double-big rotation. If Ogunbowale comes off the bench, this is a major steal for a guard who can hurt opposing teams with her three-point skills.
This is a team that, on paper, is dangerous, but time will tell if Mist BC is overhyped or not.
Unrivaled: Underdogs to Watch
Vinyl and Phantom are two clubs that will surprise people this season. Granted, Vinyl made it to the finals after a stunning upset over the Lunar Owls in the semi-finals. However, the roster differs from last year's, except for three players.
Vinyl BC:
Vinyl faces upside after acquiring Brittney Griner to help anchor the interior, as she will complement Dearica Hamby well inside. As the fast-paced game doesn’t exactly cater to Griner, she will remain a defensive threat in the paint. With Rhyne Howard returning, she remains an important factor as she was last season. Even though Canada departed from Vinyl, they added two fast-paced guards.
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With Courtney Williams and Erica Wheeler handling backcourt duties, Vinyl has enough experience and firepower to steal games if chemistry develops quickly. In addition, Rae Burell is returning as well, which leaves a wildcard on the court that opposing clubs will have trouble dealing with.
Phantom BC:
Phantom BC already embraces the underdog role, finishing with a 4-10 record last season. However, this is a completely new team, except for Natasha Cloud, who was on the roster last season.
Unfortunately, Phantom BC will be without Satou Sabally due to an injury sustained in the WNBA Finals. Tiffany Hayes will sign with the club as Sabally’s replacement, who adds veteran leadership, scoring stability, and toughness.
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With players like Dana Evans and Kelsey Plum, Phantom has the talent to be far more competitive than last year’s record suggests. Plum has 3x3 experience and is a fast, agile player who will be a 3-point threat. The addition of Evans is an excellent complement to Plum, as Evans is coming off an extraordinary year with the Las Vegas Aces.
Aliyah Boston and Kiki Iriafen are two bigs fresh off all-star seasons, as Boston has improved on the defensive side. Iriafen is new to Unrivaled, which leaves room for growth, as she is coming off a spectacular rookie season in the WNBA. This is a young duo, but both are talented players who can complement each other well in the frontcourt.
This is an interesting roster, but they have high potential. However, they can also be a crash and burn team if the chemistry isn’t meshing or the talent isn’t being maximized.
Which Clubs Face the Biggest Questions?
Lunar Owls, Breeze, and Hive all have questions leading into Unrivaled season two. Breeze and Hive are brand-new additions to the league, making it reasonable to question their capabilities against other clubs. Unlike the Breeze, the Hive has more experienced players to balance the roster.
Hive BC:
Besides Natisha Hiedeman, no one else on the Hive has played in Unrivaled before. Not only does Kelsey Mitchell have 3x3 experience representing Team USA, but Hive additionally has two talented 2025 WNBA rookies, Sonia Citron and Saniya Rivers. With Mitchell coming off a hard-fought WNBA season, it is likely Citron will be her main backcourt mate, especially since both have lethal 3-point shooting abilities.
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The club has well-experienced veterans in Monique Billings and Ezi Magbegor; however, these two will be important in terms of the rotation.
This is an interesting roster that faces a ton of upside. However, as a new club, they must handle the challenge of keeping up with the pace. The chemistry will play an important role. Ultimately, the main factor will be whether the players can adjust quickly enough to Unrivaled's style of play.
Lunar Owls BC:
As for the Lunar Owls, the only returning members are Skylar Diggins and Napheesa Collier. This raises another question: will Collier be ready by the start of the season on Jan. 5? During Unrivaled Media Day, Collier was asked about the injury she sustained in the WNBA Playoffs and stated she did not need surgery.
Collier also said that she is still “working to get back to 100%.” When asked if she was expected to be “100%” by the start of the season, she stated, “That’s the goal.”
The issue for the Lunar Owls heading into this season is size. The club no longer has Austin, but her replacement is Aaliyah Edwards, who has shown she can thrive in a 3x3 game. Losing Gray is a severe blow, but the Lunar Owls wind up with Marina Mabrey as her replacement. Reuniting former Notre Dame teammates in Mabrey and Diggins will be quite the combo. Both guards play with a specific fire that can make it hard for opposing teams to defend.
Skylar Diggins-Smith hits the first game-ending shot in Unrivaled history to help the Lunar Owls defeat the Mist. Here’s her in-arena celebration. Getting the first win clearly meant something to these players pic.twitter.com/0liScCNOKJ
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) January 18, 2025
On paper, this team looks well-rounded; however, its unique roster raises the question of whether they can succeed early on. This team has a ton of upside, but the downside is the size. Their tallest player, Edwards, at 6'3", can pose a challenge when facing other teams, who might run a bigger rotation. If Collier is not ready to go by the start of the season, it’ll be critical to see who can fill in to start.
Although the Lunar Owls were favorites last season, the roster shakeups could have a major impact.
Breeze BC:
As mentioned previously, Breeze is a new club this season. To be quite frank, it’s going to be hard to keep up with the other clubs that have players who were part of Unrivaled last season. Although Breeze BC is filled with young talent, with Aari McDonald as the veteran, it is the most entertaining roster.
Rickea might just dunk on Dom pic.twitter.com/FIyhOU5ovO
— BreezeBC🌴 (@breezebcupdates) December 24, 2025
WNBA Fans dreamed of this trio to dominate in Los Angeles, but will now get to see Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson team up in Unrivaled. The trio alone tells us this team will be exciting to watch. Not to mention they will be joined by fan favorite Kate Martin and Dominique Malonga, who is starting to find her footing in the WNBA. The pick-and-roll game between Bueckers and Malonga is about to go crazy, and who might Malonga dunk on?
One thing that specifically impacts this club is that they will be coached by Noelle Quinn. Quinn will get the chance to continue to hone Malonga’s craft, but also the other players as well. She brings significant insight not only as a coach but also as a former player. Having a leader with that kind of experience for such a young roster is quite a benefit.
