Kendra AndrewsMar 2, 2026, 10:35 AM ETMultiple Authors
The Rose, who won the 3-on-3 league’s inaugural title a year ago, were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs Saturday in Miami.
Both first-round matchups ended in upsets as the lower seeds won to advance to Monday’s semifinals. The fifth-seeded Breeze beat the fourth-seeded Rose 69-50, while the No. 6 seed Vinyl upended the No. 3 seed Laces 82-69.
The Phantom and the Mist earned byes into the semifinals. As the top seed, the Phantom will face the Vinyl, the lowest remaining seed. The No. 2 seed Mist will play the Breeze. Both games are Monday.
For the first time, playoff games will hit the road, as both semifinals will be played at Barclays Center in New York. The move comes after Unrivaled played two games in Philadelphia in January, which set a record for the most attended regular-season professional women’s basketball game, selling out the 21,490-seat Xfinity Mobile Arena.
A new playoff format highlights the second postseason for the Miami-based league. The top six teams advanced, competing for the title and a $600,000 prize pool, which will be split among the six-player roster. Last year, four teams made the postseason, and each player from the championship team earned $50,000.
The Phantom suffered a massive blow Sunday when it was announced that Aliyah Boston is out for the remainder of the playoffs because of what the league is calling an injury to a lower right extremity. The 2026 Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year set a single-season record with 29 blocks in 14 contests, with a league-leading 2.1 blocks per game. She also ranked fourth in the league in rebounds (9.7).
That’s a huge loss for the Phantom in the post, and they’ll need to find someone else to battle down low with the Vinyl’s Brittney Griner and Dearica Hamby, who hit the winning score Saturday on an alley-oop off an Erica Wheeler pass. Hamby averages a team-high 8.1 rebounds, as well as 1.2 steals. Griner (9.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG) has had a quieter season, but her presence on the floor presents issues for opponents.
Look toward Kiki Iriafen (11.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG) to step up in Boston’s absence. At 6-foot-3, she’s the Phantom’s next tallest player and is the only frontcourt player available. (Phantom teammate Satou Sabally, a 6-4 forward, has missed the Unrivaled season as she continues to deal with lingering symptoms from a concussion sustained during the WNBA Finals.)
Stats to know: Phantom guard Kelsey Plum finished the regular season third in assists, averaging 5.0. While her scoring has been dazzling throughout the year, the importance of her playmaking can’t be overstated. The two-player game Plum has established with Boston, as well as her ability to find her teammates on the floor, fueled the Phantom to their league-best record. The Phantom lead the league in assists, averaging 14.6.
But the Vinyl advanced to the semifinals on Rhyne Howard’s hot hand. She hit a playoff-record eight 3-pointers in their first-round upset win over the Laces, finishing with 30 points — the third-best single-game scoring performance in league history.
The game was won in the third period. The Vinyl trailed by four at halftime, but Rhyne Howard scored 13 straight Vinyl points and finished with 21 of her team’s 29 third-quarter points. Howard single-handedly outscored the Laces, who finished the period with 17 points.
Paige Bueckers set the tone early. From an and-1 on the opening possession to a 3-pointer in the fourth period, the guard scored from all three levels. Bueckers finished with a game-high 29 points, hitting 11-of-19 field goals, including 4-for-5 on 3-pointers. Dominique Malonga scored six of her eight points in the fourth quarter, but her 17 rebounds were even bigger.
The Phantom are the hottest team heading into the postseason. They have won seven consecutive games, which matches the second-longest winning streak in Unrivaled’s two-year history. It’s a complete shift from a year ago, when they failed to make the playoffs after finishing with the worst regular-season record in 2025. But with nearly an entirely new group — led by first-time Unrivaled player Kelsey Plum — the Phantom have led the standings all season.
Their mix of veteran and younger players has provided a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double-figure scoring. Plum leads the group with 22.6 points per game in the regular season, which is the third-best scoring mark in the league. Aliyah Boston’s numbers dipped slightly at the end of the regular season, but she was one of just two players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game most of the way; she also leads the league in blocks (2.1 per game).
The Phantom’s defense has been their biggest asset; they give up 66.5 points per game, the second fewest in the league. Last year, they gave up the most points.
The Mist are built around veterans Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray and Arike Ogunbowale — and they appear to be peaking at the right time, putting together balanced scoring performances that could be crucial in the postseason.
In the regular season, the team ranked first in scoring with 77.7 points per game, and the Mist also lead Unrivaled in offensive rebounds (9.1 per game), rebounds (34.8) and steals (5.9). Last week, they set the record for most points scored in an Unrivaled game, putting up 95 against the Breeze. They are also the only team to score 90 points in three straight games, on Feb. 9, Feb. 21 and Monday.
Gray, who was ill and sat out Friday’s regular-season finale, is averaging 21.8 points and made it to the championship game of the one-on-one tournament. Stewart is right behind her, putting up 21.4 points.
The young core of Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson has lived up to the expectations. With an identity built around defense, the Breeze lead the league in blocks (3.6 per game) and rank first in rebounds (34.9).
Bueckers’ game has translated beautifully to the condensed 3-on-3 game. She’s fourth in the league in scoring and second assists, averaging 22.1 points and 5.5 assists heading into Friday.
“She’s a savant in a lot of ways,” Breeze coach Noelle Quinn said after her team clinched a playoff spot. “Championships are fleeting, but impact and connection last. She understands that at a young age. She’s one-of-one, and she makes this team go.”
The key for the Breeze in the postseason will be finding a consistent secondary scorer behind Bueckers, especially as they face more dangerous offenses.
The Vinyl were the last team to secure a spot in the playoffs, and they did it behind a career-high 30-point performance from Rae Burrell. But like so many of their other strong showings throughout the season, the Vinyl had a balanced attack.
Rhyne Howard, Brittney Griner and Erica Wheeler played crucial roles in that win, and when the Vinyl can get multiple players involved, they are at their best. Dearica Hamby and Howard have been the team’s leading scorers this season, averaging 17.1 and 16.3 points, respectively. Hamby also ranks eighth in rebounding (8.1 per game).
“There are going to be ups and downs,” Burrell said. “I feel like as a team, we’ve been persistent. … We have been looking toward what’s next, what game is next. We’re continuing to grow as a team and just staying together.”
Matchup to watch: In a game that features some of women’s basketball’s more established veterans such as Breanna Stewart and rising stars such as Paige Bueckers, the role players on the Mist and Breeze might be the X factors. Alanna Smith scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Mist in their regular-season finale, giving a much-needed boost to extend their seven-game winning streak. For the Breeze, the addition of Courtney Williams has given a youthful team more experience that could pay dividends in the postseason. Williams gives them a steady, reliable ball handler behind Bueckers, who can execute on the small things that make the difference.
Stat to know: Last month, the Mist became the first team in Unrivaled history to score at least 90 points in three consecutive games. That streak ended in Friday’s regular-season finale, when the Mist beat the Vinyl 72-62. But Allisha Gray, who on Saturday was named to the All-Unrivaled second team, sat out that contest due to illness. If she’s healthy, look for her to make an impact. Gray averaged 21.8 points during the regular season, converting 39.5% of her 3-point shots. She also won the regular-season free throw challenge, shooting 100% from the line from Jan. 20 to Feb. 27 (14-of-14).
Jump to: Semifinal preview | First-round results | Breeze | Mist | Phantom | Vinyl
Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV/HBO Max (Barclays Center, New York)
Kendra AndrewsMar 2, 2026, 10:35 AM ETMultiple Authors
Monday, 8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV/HBO Max (Barclays Center)