Sabrina & Stewie Raise a Banner 🗽 + More Unrivaled Buzz

Week 1 of the WNBA season delivered instant fireworks, highlighted by Napheesa Collier’s 34 points in Minnesota’s opener and a flurry of standout stat lines from Unrivaled stars across the league.

Breanna Stewart enjoyed an equally busy Opening Weekend, including raising the Liberty’s 2024 championship banner before a 92-78 win over the Aces on Saturday. The winning didn’t stop there as Stewie, Sabrina Ionescu and more of the Liberty attended Sunday’s Yankees vs Mets game in the Bronx. Stewie threw out the ceremonial first pitch and got to watch her favorite baseball team secure the win.

WNBA Week 1 Notable Performances

Opening Weekend in the W was stacked, and this week has been just as exciting. Here are the biggest Week 1 stat lines from around the league, including the Aces' trio of Unrivaled starters Jackie Young (16 points), Jewell Loyd (20 points, 5 rebounds) and Chelsea Gray (12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) combining for 58 points in Tuesday's 87-62 win over the Sun. Plus, Angel Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 450 points and rebounds, doing so in 35 games. And, Brittney Griner climbed into the WNBA’s top 20 for career rebounds.

Minnesota’s Statement Opener

• Napheesa Collier poured in 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting, added four boards and four dimes, and set a Lynx season-opener record as Minnesota beat Dallas 99-84.

• Courtney Williams matched that energy with 25 points on 67% shooting and 9 assists, combining with Queen Phee for 59 of the Lynx’s 99 points.

• Arike Ogunbowale powered the Wings’ attack with 16 points and 4 assists, while DiJonai Carrington chipped in 15 more.

Mercury’s New Duo Takes Flight

• Satou Sabally erupted for 27 points and 6 boards in an 81-59 Mercury win over Seattle.

• Alyssa Thomas added 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, flashing her trademark versatility.

Liberty Raise the Banner

• Breanna Stewart enjoyed a 25 point, 8 rebound night on 71% shooting to power a 92-78 win over Las Vegas.

• Natasha Cloud impressed with 22 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in New York’s first game of the season.

Front-Court Power in Indy

• Aliyah Boston anchored a 93-58 win over Chicago with 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks on 8-of-12 shooting.

• Angel Reese contributed a Sky-leading 17 boards and 12 points in the loss.

Valkyries-Sparks Bay-Area Battle

• Tiffany Hayes led expansion Golden State with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals. Talk about making a statement!

• Dearica Hamby posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, Rickea Jackson added 13 points and 5 boards, and Azurá Stevens contributed 11 points and 5 rebounds as the Sparks’ front-court depth delivered.

Lynx Surge Past Sparks

• Queen Phee kept her hot start rolling with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, steering Minnesota to an 89-75 road win and a 2-0 record.

• Courtney Williams handed out a weekend-best 10 assists to go with 13 points and 5 boards.

• Azurá Stevens answered with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and six rebounds, while Dearica delivered a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double to keep Los Angeles close.

Unrivaled News

Sport Beach at Cannes Lions
Unrivaled is heading to Cannes! Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell and Sephora VP of Marketing Partnerships Celessa Baker will join a panel with Taylor Rooks to dive into the strategy behind our inaugural season and provide a first look at what's ahead! Keep an eye on our social channels for BTS updates!

Life Lately

• ⌚️ BG and Courtney Williams shared some of the tech behind their success.

• 🏖️ Dearica Hamby with her kids at the Lilo and Stitch World Premiere has us singing “Āwikiwiki, mai lohilohi.”

• 🎙️ Jewell Loyd launched a new podcast, The Warehouse. In episode 1, Jewell introduces audiences to the coach who made her a star.

• 🏎️ Rhyne got her Ferrari and now we need to convince her to create content building them with Naz Hillmon voiceovers! 🤣

• 🦆 May 12th = Sabrina Ionescu Day in Eugene, OR! While in town for the Liberty’s preseason game, Sabrina not only had a day named for her, but also held a basketball clinic and stopped by a local bar to hand out free drinks.

• 🎵 Napheesa Collier and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon announced a new partnership between the Lynx and Bon Iver, focussing on addressing gender inequities through a sports and music connection.

Standout Numbers

Queen Phee has started the WNBA season on an MVP-pace. After her 57 points during opening weekend, she scored another 28 in the Lynx's 85-81 win over the Wings on Wednesday.

If you excluded Angel Reese's self-rebounds, she would still rank second in the WNBA in rebounds (h/t: @trendyhoopstars).

Stewie made 25 points look EASY in the Liberty’s opening weekend win.

The Unrivaled champion made a major statement in the Mystics back-to-back wins to open the season. Brittney Sykes also had 30 points, 5 boards and 3 assists in Wednesdays’s 76-74 loss to the Valkyries.

Allisha Gray was making buckets and cashing in not only during the game, but in practice, too.

Phoenix’s new one-two punch was on full display, as Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally each eclipsed 20 points in the Mercury’s season opener. This duo is about to be a must-watch the rest of the season 🚨

Until Next Time…

See you in a few weeks for more Unrivaled news and player performance recaps! Until then, follow us on social (Threads, X, Instagram and TikTok) for more Unrivaled fun.