MEDLEY, Fla. – Unrivaled stars Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese and Brittney Griner are all in action as the 3-on-3, women’s basketball league resumes play on Friday night.
Collier and the Lunar Owls, Unrivaled’s best team at 6-0, will face Ionescu, Griner and the Phantom in the first of two games at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Reese and the Rose will face Stewart and the Mist in the second game, starting at 8:30 p.m., as both clubs hope to continue their winning ways from last week.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s Unrivaled games, and stay tuned for live updates from USA TODAY Sports:
How to watch Unrivaled games Friday night on TV
Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.
How to live stream Unrivaled games on Friday night
Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.
Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV
Lunar Owls (6-0) vs. Phantom (2-4) preview
The Lunar Owls are the only unbeaten team in Unrivaled behind their starting lineup of Napheesa Collier, Allisha Grey and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Collier scored 36 points with 12 rebounds, Gray added 20 points, and Diggins-Smith hit her fourth game-sealing shot as the Lunar Owls beat the Vinyl, 85-68, last Monday. Collier has been Unrivaled’s best player, averaging a league-leading 29.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.
Sabrina Ionescu is expected to play for the Phantom after participating at Super Bowl week in New Orleans. She had a monster game with 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists last Friday against the Rose. Satou Sabally led the Phantom with 22 points, while Brittney Griner had 20 points and eight rebounds in the club’s last game, a loss to the Mist last Monday.
Rose (2-4) vs. Mist (2-4) preview
The Rose and the Mist will meet in the second of two games on Friday night, both coming off their second wins of the season.
The Rose beat the Laces, 83-69, last Saturday as Chelsea Gray scored 28 points, while Azurá Stevens had 23 points and eight rebounds. Angel Reese was ejected for two technical fouls in the second quarter, but had 15 rebounds before her exit.
Breanna Stewart and the Mist beat the Phantom, 64-61, last Monday. Stewart had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to help the Mist win their second straight game after a 0-4 start.
Unrivaled upcoming schedule
Unrivaled will play two more games on Saturday: The Laces will meet the Vinyl first, while the Mist and Lunar Owls meet in the second game.
Then, Unrivaled will begin its 1-on-1 tournament to be played Monday, Tuesday and next Friday.
Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament, what you need to know
Thirty of Unrivaled’s 36 players will participate in the tournament where a $350,000 prize pool is on the line.
The winner of the tournament will win $200,000, the runner-up will receive $50,000, and the other two semifinalists will take away $25,000. Each club teammate of the winner will also receive $10,000.
Is Angel Reese playing tonight?
Yes, Reese and the Rose play in the second game on Friday night.
Reese became the first Unrivaled player to be ejected last Saturday against the Laces. A referee thought Reese was gesturing toward him instead of Tiffany Hayes after a defensive stop, a misunderstanding which led to two technical fouls in the second quarter. Reese posted “free me” on social media, while her coach hopes Reese can learn from the ejection.
The Angel Reese Special at McDonald’s was also announced last week: The meal includes a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese topped with a new BBQ sauce, plus French fries and a drink.
What is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled – the new women’s basketball league started by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart – will play its inaugural season from January to mid-March.
Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.
Where is Unrivaled playing games?
Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.
Unrivaled team names and rosters
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Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
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Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
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Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
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Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
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Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
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Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.
Unrivaled rules to know
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Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending.
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Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul.
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How long is the Unrivaled court size? It’s is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Unrivaled live updates: Lunar Owls-Phantom, Rose-Mist on Friday night
