1 on 1 Tournament Presented by Sprite Tips Off TONIGHT 🏀

Week 5 gave us big swings, bigger finishes, and a reminder that no lead is safe in this league. And tonight, we flip the switch to the Unrivaled 1 on 1 Tournament presented by Sprite. The tournament tips off live at 7 pm ET on truTV, with 11 matchups in one night!

But before we dive into the 1 on 1 action, Angel Reese is back! The 2025 Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year has agreed to a new deal with the league for the remainder of the 2026 season. Reese will make her return to Rose BC on February 20 for the club’s matchup against Hive BC. This follows the big trade made earlier in the week that sent Courtney Williams to Breeze BC, Saniya Rivers to Vinyl BC and Azurá Stevens to Hive BC.

Let’s also do a quick stat check before we dive into this week’s action: the margins are tight, and the standings prove it. Laces sit atop the league at 8-2, with Phantom right behind at 8-3. Both have clinched a spot in the playoffs. From there, the separation is slim. Mist is currently pacing the league at 73.9 points per game, with Phantom right behind at 73.4, and Rose next at 72.3. In other words, everybody can score. Everybody can swing a game.

And in the 1 on 1 Tournament presented by Sprite, there's nowhere to hide. You’re going to feel the urgency immediately. Games are 10 minutes or to the Winning Score (11), the clock runs, and every possession has a seven-second shot clock. It’s fast and physical: create space, get a stop, advance.

Here’s what’s coming tonight, in order:

Natasha Cloud (#7) vs Chelsea Gray (#2)
Cloud has been efficient from deep (40.9% from 3) while Gray has paired elite scoring with elite creation (25.1 points and 6.6 assists per game). This should be an exciting matchup from the jump as both can close games.

Li Yueru (#8) vs Breanna Stewart (#1)
Stewie brings one of the most complete stat profiles in the bracket: 20.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, plus she’s tied for the league lead in game-winners (four). As the 2nd tallest player in Unrivaled, Yueru brings elite size and touch.

Sonia Citron (#6) vs Marina Mabrey (#3)
Mabrey leads the league in scoring (26.8) and 3s made (3.8 per game). A fellow Notre Dame alum, Citron has quietly been one of the best rim-protection guards in the league (tied for 3rd in the league in blocks at 1.2 per game). She also scored a career-high 32 points on 12-18 shooting against the Vinyl on February 2.

Rachel Banham (#8) vs Kelsey Mitchell (#1)
Banham’s calling card is shot-making (40.6% from 3), the kind that flips a 1 on 1 game in two possessions. On the other side, Mitchell has been highly efficient (17.4 points on 51.7% shooting).

Brittney Sykes (#5) vs Arike Ogunbowale (#4)
Sykes brings two-way pressure, sitting top-two in steals (1.6) and tied for third in game winners (three). Meanwhile, Arike is coming off a career-high 29 in Mist’s Week 5 closer and made it to the Semifinals in last year's tournament.

Dominique Malonga (#7) vs Aaliyah Edwards (#2)
Edwards is the league’s top rebounder (13.6) and she’s scoring 22.3 points on 57.8% shooting. She enters the tournamnet as last year’s runner-up, looking to once again make a deep run. Meanwhile Malonga is right behind Edwards on the glass (10.6 rebounds). Controlling the boards will be key to the matchup.

Rae Burrell (#7) vs Rhyne Howard (#2)
Howard is a volume 3-point threat with 3.0 made 3s per game. That kind of quick scoring is lethal with a running clock, which her Vinyl clubmate and Round 1 opponent knows. Burrell brings pressure and activity, averaging 1.2 steals per game, and is also averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists.

Kate Martin (#8) vs Paige Bueckers (#1)
A Breeze vs Breeze matchup. Bueckers has been one of the most efficient stars in the league at 25.0 points on 55.5% shooting, plus 6.7 assists per game, which is a scary combination in 1 on 1 because she can score without needing a ton of dribbles. Martin’s edge will be forcing Bueckers to work for space every possession.

Shakira Austin (#6) vs Dearica Hamby (#3)
Austin is shooting 56.6% and averages 16.2 points and 8.5 rebounds, while Hamby is right there at 18.7 points on 56.8% shooting with 7.8 rebounds. This should be a fun matchup and battle in the paint.

Aziaha James (#6) vs Jackie Young (#3)
Young’s balance shows up in the stat line: 16.4 points and 3.9 assists, which usually means she can find a way even when the first look isn’t there. She’ll be going up against James, a first year pro who most recently appeared in a game for the Lunar Owls on February 6 and made an impact.

Veronica Burton (#5) vs Courtney Williams (#4)
Burton brings defensive pressure at 1.8 steals per game, and that matters in 1 on 1 because one live-ball takeaway can quickly become a two-possession swing. Williams is a steady playmaker at 4.0 assists per game, so the chess match is Burton’s disruption vs. Williams’ patience.

Whether you’re watching from home or joining us in person, there’s still time to lock in your bracket. Select the players you think will win each matchup and build your own path to see who will be Crowned the One.

Here’s what else you need to know before tip off:

• First Round: Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7 pm ET on truTV and HBO Max

• Second Round + Quarterfinals: Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 pm ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max

• Semifinals + Finals: Saturday, Feb. 14 at 6 pm ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max

Prize Pool

• Total: $300,000

• Champion: $200,000 | Runner-up: $50,000 | Semifinalists: $25,000 each

Marina Mabrey Wins Unrivaled Basketball Club Player of Week 4

Marina Mabrey won the Week 4 Player of the Week award, as voted by the Unrivaled Basketball Club newsletter audience.

Marina received 51.75% of the votes following her record-breaking Philly is Unrivaled performance where she posted 47 points, including going 10-of-15 from 3, in a dominant 85-75 Lunar Owls win over the Rose.

Mabrey is also currently the league’s scoring leader at 26.8 points per game and sits atop the 3-pointers made list at 3.8 per game.

Unrivaled Basketball Club Player of Week 5

Week 5 had a little bit of everything: big nights from primary scorers, takeover stretches at the target score, and front-court players controlling games with rebounding and rim presence. These Miller Lite Player of the Game winners stood out not only for putting up numbers, they shaping outcomes.

Aliyah Boston (Phantom)
Boston was dominant from start to finish in Phantom’s 76-73 win over Vinyl, finishing with a career-high 33 points and 16 rebounds. She opened the game on a 6-0 run by herself, then closed the first half with 22 points and helped power Phantom’s comeback, pairing with Kelsey Plum to become the first Unrivaled teammates to both score 30+ in the same game.

Arike Ogunbowale (Mist)
Ogunbowale poured in a career-high 29 points, going 11-of-23 from the field and 5-of-14 from deep in Mist’s 90-64 win over Rose. She set the tone early and kept adding pressure late, scoring eight more points in the fourth to finish as the game’s leading scorer.

Kelsey Plum (Phantom)
Plum was the engine in Phantom’s 83–71 win over the Mist, finishing with 28 points and 7 assists and setting the tone in the 2nd and 3rd quarters when the game tightened. She also helped spark Phantom’s third-quarter avalanche, when the club posted the highest-scoring third quarter in league history, and she stayed steady at the finish.

Monique Billings (Hive)
Billings put up a huge rebounding performance with 15 points and a career high 17 boards, and it came in a game where every extra possession mattered. It also marked her fourth straight double-double, tying the league record for consecutive double-doubles, which is exactly the kind of weekly consistency that deserves a nomination.

Naz Hillmon (Laces)
Hillmon posted her third double-double of the season in Laces’ win over the Lunar Owls, finishing with a career-high 17 points and 11 rebounds. In a game that tightened late, she helped Laces stay composed with second-chance plays and steady finishing.

Shakira Austin (Rose)
Austin delivered a monster two-way outing against Vinyl, putting up 22 points and 18 rebounds while anchoring Rose’s physicality on both ends. When Vinyl made a furious fourth-quarter push, Austin’s presence on the glass and around the rim helped Rose absorb the run and close it out.

Who Called Game?

Late-game execution, composure, and one final to seal the deal. That’s why we love game-winners. Here are the six players who secured their club a victory in Week 5.

Breanna Stewart (Mist)
Stewie sealed Mist’s win over Rose with a calm pull-up jumper, her fourth game-winner of the season. The late bucket was paired with another steady all-around night, posting a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Brittney Sykes (Laces)
With the Lunar Owls within striking distance late, Sykes drew contact and calmly knocked down the free throw that decided it. Slim led Laces with 22 points, plus 3 assists and 2 steals, and the win made Laces the first club to clinch a playoff spot.

Chelsea Gray (Rose)
Gray closed the door with a jumper after Vinyl’s massive fourth-quarter surge, securing her third game-winner of the season. She also finished with 8 assists, keeping Rose organized through the chaos and delivering the last word when it mattered most.

Kelsey Plum (Phantom)
Plum delivered the deciding moment in Phantom’s 76-73 win over Vinyl, getting to the rim for the game-winning layup. She finished with 30 points, 5 assists, and a late attack that capped a huge night.

Natasha Cloud (Phantom)
Cloud delivered the decisive moment from deep, drilling the game-winner at the target score after helping Phantom hold control down the stretch and win their third-straight game. Cloud scored 8 points in the closing push and finished it with a season-first game-winner.

Sonia Citron (Hive)
Citron drove and finished at the rim for her first career game-winner, sealing a comeback that was historic for more than the ending. Hive erased a 15-point deficit, the largest comeback win in league history, and Citron owned the final touch through traffic.

Honoring WBL Trailblazers with Legends of the Ball

Unrivaled is proud to collaborate with Legends of the Ball (LOB), a nonprofit dedicated to honoring the pioneers of the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL). On Monday night, we celebrated six trailblazers who helped forge the path for women’s pro basketball, plus a special guest whose impact spans generations.

Honored WBL Trailblazers

• Elizabeth Galloway McQuitter (UNLV | Chicago Hustle)

• Adrian Mitchell Newell (University of Kansas | Chicago Hustle, St. Louis Streak)

• Charlene McWhorter Jackson (Albany State | Milwaukee Does, Chicago Hustle)

• “Machine Gun” Molly Bolin Kazmer (Grand View College | Iowa Cornets, San Francisco Pioneers)

• Retha Swindell (University of Texas | Chicago Hustle, Dallas Diamonds)

• Special guest: Susan Summons (Lamar University | New England Gulls | Miami Dade CC Hall of Fame coach)

If you’re coming to a game this month, keep an eye out near the entrance of Sephora Arena. A WBL history display will be live each gameday throughout February. Stop by and take it in!