November 20, 2024
Unrivaled releases team rosters for first season
Tasty team combos and the intrigue of wild cards...
The steady stream of individual player releases by Unrivaled, the new 3×3 league, reached a crescendo on Wednesday with the release of team rosters. The league released the selection video on Wednesday detailing how the rosters were selected.
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It is an intriguing system: players were separated into groups, with coach input, based on their skill set and physical traits, and then spread out to the six clubs. After the rosters were set, the coaches were then assigned a team.
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We now know who will be playing for the six clubs: The Vinyl, Rose, Mist, Lunar Owls, Phantom, and Laces. Yet, there are still a few questions when it comes to final team makeup.
Without further hesitation, here are the six Unrivaled women’s basketball rosters:
The Vinyl
Head Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Players: Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, Jordin Canada, Rae Burrell, and Dearica Hamby
The Rose
Head Coach: Nola Henry
Players: Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Angel Reese, Brittney Sykes, Lexie Hull, Azura Stevens
The Mist
Head Coach: Phil Handy
Players: Jewell Loyd, DiJonai Carrington, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards
The Lunar Owls
Head Coach: DJ Sackmann
Players: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Napheesa Collier, Natasha Cloud, WILDCARD, Shakira Austin
The Phantom
Head Coach: Adam Harrington
Players: Jackie Young, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Tiffany Hayes, WILDCARD, Brittney Griner
The Laces
Head Coach: Andrew Wade
Players: Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Williams, Kate Martin, Stefanie Dolson
NOW, you may be asking – what is a wildcard?
Let’s discuss.
Originally, the Unrivaled league was going to have 30 roster spots, six clubs, and five players per club. A few weeks ago, they announced they were already able to expand. Now there are 36 roster spots, six players per team.
Accordingly, there are still two players who have not signed yet. Despite the rumors about who those players from Iowa may be, there is nothing finalized about who they are adding to the rosters and when they would be announced. So to account for the full 36, Unrivaled created “wildcard” spots, which remain unfilled as of today.
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Some of the most intriguing combos include getting to see Atlanta Dream teammates Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada build more offseason chemistry with The Vinyl, reuniting the Muffet McGraw-era Notre Dame stars Jackie Young and Marina Mabrey with The Phantom, and a callback to the 2017 San Antonio Stars with a potential Kayla McBride/Kelsey Plum backcourt for The Laces.
