Unrivaled team rankings: way-too-early projections

We’re less than a month away from Unrivaled’s tip-off in Miami, and it’s time to take a look at how the league’s six clubs stack up.

Unrivaled, the full-court, 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart last year, begins its second season on Jan. 5. The league features 22 new WNBA players, as well as 26 returners from Year 1. Several top performers from the inaugural season, like Angel Reese, Kayla McBride, and Sabrina Ionescu, won’t be suiting up this year.

Last year, the Rose Club won the championship, led by Chelsea Gra and Kahleah Copper. During the regular season, the Lunar Owls — led by Napheesa Collier and Skylar Diggins — were the league’s best team.

It’s way too early, and it’s almost impossible to know each of the newly assembled clubs will mesh, but here’s my prediction for how the eight clubs will fare.

Projected Unrivaled club rankings

1. Rose Club

1. Chelsea Gray
2. Kahleah Copper
3. Azurá Stevens
4. Lexie Hull
5. Shakira Austin
6. Sug Sutton 

Chelsea Gray is fresh off a title run with the Las Vegas Aces, and was one of the Unrivaled’s best players last season. Azurá Stevens and Shakira Austin both had their best seasons yet. And, Kahleah Copper missed most of the previous Unrivaled season, but was an elite scorer when available. Albeit not exactly last year’s squad (Angel Reese is a big loss), the Rose Club won it all last year, and begin this season as my favorite to do it again.

2. Lunar Owls

1. Napheesa Collier 
2. Skylar Diggins
3. Marina Mabrey
4. Aaliyah Edwards
5. Rachel Banham
6. Rebecca Allen

The Lunar Owls were the best team in the league last season, and Napheesa Collier is almost definitely the best player in Unrivaled. Last year, she averaged a league-best 25.7 points alongside 10.6 rebounds, and the Owls went 13-1 during the regular season. Skylar Diggins also established herself as one of the Unrivaled’s best guards last season, averaging 17.9 points and 4.8 assists per game. And, Aaliyah Edwards surged last year in Unrivaled, finishing as the runner-up in the league’s 1-on-1 tournament. Marina Mabrey missed most of the season with a calf strain, but should be due for a bounce-back year.

3. Laces

1. Jackie Young
2. Brittney Sykes
3. Alyssa Thomas
4. Jordin Canada
5. Maddy Siegrist
6. Naz Hillmon

The Laces have some of the best individual defenders in the game in Jackie Young, Brittney Sykes, Alyssa Thomas, and Jordin Canada. Naz Hillmon was instrumental as a reserve player in the Rose’s title run, and Maddy Siegrist could provide great floor spacing. This fall, Young continued to establish herself as one of the best two-way players in the league en route to the Aces’ third WNBA championship in four seasons. This team could struggle with shooting, so Siegrist’s ability to knock down the open three will be critical.

4. Phantom

1. Kelsey Plum
2. Satou Sabally
3. Aliyah Boston
4. Dana Evans
5. Natasha Cloud
6. Kiki Iriafen

Kelsey Plum didn’t play in Unrivaled last year, but as an elite three-level scorer, her game should translate well. This team is well-rounded; Aliyah Boston and Kiki Iriafen are two of the best young bigs in the league, while Natasha Cloud should be a good backcourt mate for Plum, as well as someone who can handle tough defensive assignments.

5. Breeze

1. Paige Bueckers
2. Rickea Jackson
3. Dominique Malonga
4. Aari McDonald
5. Kate Martin
6. Cameron Brink

The Breeze is one of the youngest clubs in the league, and that should suit them well when playing this fast-paced game. Aari McDonald is their only player not drafted in the last two seasons, but several players should be on the cusp of breakout seasons. Dominique Malonga’s game should translate well here, and Paige Bueckers seems like an ideal 3-on-3 player. Cameron Brink has substantial 3-on-3 experience, albeit in the halfcourt, but should nonetheless bring defensive versatility.

6. Hive

1. Kelsey Mitchell
2. Sonia Citron
3. Ezi Magbegor
4. Natisha Hiedeman
5. Saniya Rivers
6. Monique Billings

Kelsey Mitchell is coming off the best season of her career, and like Kelsey Plum, is someone whose game should immediately adjust to Unrivaled. Her and Sonia Citron should form an elite backcourt that can push the pace and shoot the ball well. Natisha Hiedeman wasn’t officially on an Unrivaled club, but bounced around the league as an injury replacement player and is always good for a burst of scoring.

7. Mist

1. Allisha Gray
2. Breanna Stewart
3. Alanna Smith
4. Veronica Burton
5. Arike Ogunbowale
6. Li Yueru

It’s difficult to rank the Mist so low considering all the talent on this squad; Allisha Gray is fresh off a First Team All-WNBA season, Breanna Stewart had another big year for the New York Liberty, Alanna Smith was co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Veronica Burton surged onto the scene as an elite point guard for the golden State Valkyries (and the WNBA’s Most Improved Player). But spacing could be a problem for this Mist team, particularly if Stewart’s shooting struggles continue (she shot 24.1% from downtown last year on the Liberty).

8. Vinyl

1. Courtney Williams
2. Rhyne Howard 
3. Dearica Hamby
4. Erica Wheeler
5. Rae Burrell
6. Brittney Griner

Full disclaimer: It’s almost impossible to rank any team last with so many talented players on each roster. But, I’m going with the Vinyl because I do think this team heavily relies on a handful of players (Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby).

Predicting how these new combinations of players will fare so far in advance is kind of a crapshoot, but these are my best guesses. It’s also worth noting that availability/health status will be key; last year, several key players missed most, if not all, of the season. Who can stay out there remains to be seen. I wouldn’t be shocked if rankings ended up being completely backwards; after all, the league’s goal was to create teams that were as evenly-matched as possible. But here’s where I’m at after a first glance.