Unrivaled Update: Brittney Griner Suffers Hip Pointer; Alyssa Thomas Undergoes Knee Assessment
MEDLEY, Fla. — The second weekend of Unrivaled commenced on Friday with two key players facing injuries, which could pose challenges for the emerging women’s basketball league.
Brittney Griner managed to push through a hip pointer to net the decisive basket for the Phantom in their opening game, while Alyssa Thomas from the Laces was forced to leave the second game in the final quarter due to a right knee injury.
Thomas, who plays for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA, appeared to be in severe pain while holding her knee, and had to exit the court with assistance from a trainer. The league stated she will undergo further evaluation on Saturday morning.
Despite the setback, the Laces (3-0) were energized to secure an 83-79 triumph over the Vinyl (2-1) in honor of their injured teammate.
“We just wanted to win for her,” said Laces guard Kate Martin from the Golden State Valkyries. “People often refer to her as ‘the engine.’ When the engine is out of action, you have to find ways to compensate.”
In the match, Thomas contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Laces, while Kayla McBride delivered the game-winning layup with a personal tally of 22 points. Tiffany Hayes led all scorers with 26 points for the Laces during the victory.
“Our captain went down, and we needed to secure the win for her,” Hayes remarked following the game.
Griner’s performance had its moments of worry as she exited the court multiple times in her first game. However, she conclusively sealed the match with her final shot, registering 29 points and guiding the Phantom to a 74-69 victory over the Mist in their season’s first win.
Satou Sabally matched Griner’s 29 points, and Nastasha Cloud contributed with nine assists while the Phantom competed without their star player Sabrina Ionescu, who was engaged in promotional duties for the NBA Paris Games this week.
Phantom coach Adam Harrington remains hopeful that Griner will participate in the Phantom’s next match against the unbeaten Lunar Owls (2-0) on Saturday.
“It required everyone’s effort,” Griner commented after the win.
She achieved 14 of 18 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, adding eight points in the final quarter.
The Phantom, now at 1-2, managed their first victory, while the Mist struggled to 0-3, despite Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart scoring 10 of her 27 points in the final quarter and securing 11 rebounds. Rickea Jackson also had a commendable 24 points for the Mist in their defeat.
Dearica Hamby had a standout performance for the Vinyl, contributing 18 points and eight rebounds, while Rhyne Howard and Arike Ogunbowale each netted 16 points in the team’s first loss of the season.
Unrivaled’s second weekend continues on Saturday with Angel Reese and the Rose taking on the Mist at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the Lunar Owls facing the Phantom at 7 p.m. ET (both broadcasted on TruTV).
The weekend wraps up on Monday as the Vinyl goes head-to-head with the Lunar Owls at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Rose against the Laces at 8:30 p.m. ET (both on TNT).
Unrivaled Final Score: Laces 83, Vinyl 79
Kayla McBride’s crucial layup secured the win, allowing the Laces (3-0) to remain undefeated with an 83-79 victory over the Vinyl (2-1) in their second match.
McBride ended with 22 points, while Tiffany Hayes led the scoring for the Laces with 26 points. Alyssa Thomas added 14 points and 12 rebounds, but had to exit in the last quarter due to her knee injury.
“Our captain went down, and we pushed hard to win for her,” Hayes reflected post-game.
The injury occurred when Vinyl player Rhyne Howard collided with Thomas while going for a rebound. However, Thomas was able to walk back to the locker room with minimal assistance.
Dearica Hamby topped the scoring for the Vinyl with 18 points and eight rebounds. Rhyne Howard and Arike Ogunbowale each contributed 16 points, marking the club’s first defeat of the season.
Unrivaled Score: Laces 71, Vinyl 60 after Third Quarter
Target Winning Score: 82
Tiffany Hayes has racked up 24 points, with Kayla McBride adding 16 points, and Alyssa Thomas contributing 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Laces, who lead 71-60 heading into the final quarter.
Both teams must reach the target score of 82 points in order to claim victory.
Dearica Hamby leads the Vinyl with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Rhyne Howard has contributed 13 points.
Unrivaled Halftime Score: Laces 45, Vinyl 40 after Second Quarter
Tiffany Hayes is shooting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, totaling 16 points, while Kayla McBride has 11 points. The Laces are ahead 45-40 at halftime.
For the Vinyl, Dearica Hamby registered 12 points, while Rhyne Howard has 10 points. The Vinyl has trailed by as much as 14 points during the second quarter.
Unrivaled Score: Laces 24, Vinyl 20 after First Quarter
Kayla McBride leads with 11 points as the Laces have a slight edge at 24-20 against the Vinyl in the first quarter.
Rhyne Howard scored seven points, and Dearica Hamby added six points for the Vinyl.
Unrivaled Final Score: Phantom 74, Mist 69
Brittney Griner and Satou Sabally each recorded 29 points while Natasha Cloud added nine assists, leading the Phantom to its inaugural Unrivaled victory with a score of 74-69 over the Mist on Friday night.
Griner played a pivotal role in the final quarter, scoring eight points, including the game-winning shot. The Phantom played without Sabrina Ionescu, who was occupied with promotional events for the NBA Paris Games this week.
“It was a team effort,” Griner stated, having shot 14 of 18 from the field and collected nine rebounds.
Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart contributed significantly with 10 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, also securing 11 rebounds, though the Mist fell to an 0-3 record.
Rickea Jackson scored 24 points for the Mist during the game.
Unrivaled Score: Phantom 62, Mist 57 after Third Quarter
Target Winning Score: 73
Satou Sabally has risen to 27 points as the Phantom leads the Mist 62-57 heading into the final quarter. The first team to reach the target of 73 points will claim victory.
Unrivaled Halftime Score: Mist 41, Phantom 36 after Second Quarter
Rickea Jackson leads the Mist with 18 points, while Breanna Stewart has 13 points and seven rebounds. The Mist leads the Phantom 41-36 at halftime.
Satou Sabally has also matched Jackson with 18 points, while Brittney Griner has tallied 14 points for the Phantom.
Both teams were evenly matched, each shooting 14 of 32 during the first half.
Unrivaled Score: Mist 24, Phantom 20 after First Quarter
Rickea Jackson recorded 11 points, and Breanna Stewart added nine points along with three rebounds for the Mist, who jumped out to a quick lead with a 13-3 run to start the game.
Satou Sabally sank 10 points, while Brittney Griner chipped in eight points for the Phantom, who answered back with a 17-11 run following the first timeout.
How to Watch Unrivaled on Friday Night
In the United States, Unrivaled is broadcast on TNT, while in Canada, it is available on TSN+. It can also be streamed live on Max, YouTube, and Sling TV.
Sabrina Ionescu Not Playing in Unrivaled Games During Week 2
WNBA champion SabrinaIonescu will not be participating in the upcoming Phantom game, as she has engaged in promotional duties during the NBA Paris Games this week.
Phantom (0-2) vs. Mist (0-2) Preview
Both Phantom and Mist are still searching for their first wins after a challenging opening weekend in the Unrivaled league.
Satou Sabally stands out as Phantom’s second top scorer with an average of 11.5 points per game, following Ionescu’s 16.0 points. Last week, Phantom struggled, losing 86-48 to the Laces and then falling 84-69 to Vinyl.
For Mist, Stewart leads the league in rebounds, averaging 13.5 per game. Mist experienced two losses as well, first losing 84-80 to the Lunar Owls and then 63-43 to the Laces.
Phantom, Mist, and Rose are currently the only teams in the Unrivaled league with records of 0-2 after the initial weekend.
Laces (2-0) vs. Vinyl (2-0) Preview
McBride has been impressive for the Laces, currently ranked second in the Unrivaled league with an average of 24.5 points per game, helping the Laces achieve victories against both Phantom and Mist last week.
Howard had an outstanding performance in Vinyl’s first game, scoring 33 points, the highest for any player in the Unrivaled league last week. She ranks third in the league with 23.5 points per game. Vinyl secured a victory over Rose, winning 79-73, before defeating Phantom.
The Laces and Vinyl join the Lunar Owls (2-0) as the only undefeated teams in Unrivaled.
Unrivaled Week 2 Games on Saturday and Monday
This Saturday, Mist will challenge Rose at 6 p.m., with the Lunar Owls facing Phantom at 7 p.m. on TruTV.
On Monday, Vinyl will go up against the Lunar Owls at 7:30 p.m., and afterwards, Rose will meet the Laces at 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
What is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is the exciting new women’s basketball league initiated by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, kicking off its first season from January to mid-March.
The league features six teams, showcasing 36 of the finest women’s basketball athletes globally, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, who will compete in 3-on-3, full court matches over the next nine weeks.
Where Are Unrivaled Games Played?
The games are held at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, located within the Miami metropolitan area, approximately 7 miles from Miami International Airport.
Unrivaled Team Names and Rosters
- Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
- Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
- Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
- Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
- Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
- Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.
