The emergence of Aaliyah Edwards and Marina Mabrey in Unrivaled highlights a compelling narrative: these players often demonstrate more impressive performance than they do in the WNBA. Unrivaled, with its unique framework, offers an intriguing twist to the world of women’s basketball, showcasing individual talent in ways that traditional formats sometimes fail to capture.
Unrivaled effectively acts as an extension of the WNBA, featuring familiar rosters, coaching staffs, and even player rivalries and friendships. However, the essence of the game itself diverges significantly. The smaller playing area in Unrivaled means that individual skills can shine brighter. With fewer defenders to contend with, players can find greater success in isolation plays, which in turn suggests that high-scoring players can truly dominate the 3x3 format.
This raises an important question: which players are thriving in this alternative setting, and who is finding success in 3x3 basketball that has eluded them in the WNBA?
Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls BC/Connecticut Sun)
In her second season with Unrivaled, Aaliyah Edwards has quickly established herself as a standout in isolation play. Despite not making significant waves in her first Unrivaled season with Mist, her remarkable journey to the finals of the 1-on-1 Tournament generated discussions about her untapped potential within the WNBA framework. Edwards showcased her skills by defeating notable WNBA All-Stars such as Breanna Stewart (12-0), Allisha Gray (12-6), and Arike Ogunbowale (11-2), before ultimately falling short to Napheesa Collier.
This year, Edwards has found a formula that translates her tournament success into Unrivaled performance. Currently, she’s averaging an impressive 21.8 points per game after five matches, ranking sixth in the league. This stark contrast to her previous season's average of just 5.4 points per game—when she played for the Washington Mystics before transferring to the Connecticut Sun—highlights an extraordinary leap in her scoring ability. No other player in Unrivaled shows such a dramatic difference between their performance in this league versus the WNBA.
Moreover, Edwards leads Unrivaled with an average of 12.2 rebounds per game, a significant increase from her WNBA average of 5.4. It’s crucial to clarify that this disparity in production is not an indication that Edwards could score 22 points per game in the WNBA; rather, it reflects how the pace, spacing, and structured offensive strategies of Unrivaled naturally facilitate higher scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, her accomplishments indicate that her skill set may be more formidable than previously recognized. As she continues to acclimate to her new environment in Connecticut, her performance in Unrivaled bolsters her case for a more prominent role on her team.
Monique Billings (Hive BC/Golden State Valkyries)
Edwards isn’t the only player whose potential has been unleashed in Unrivaled. Monique Billings, a seasoned WNBA veteran with eight years of experience, has also demonstrated unexpected yet impressive production. Initially, her absence from the first season of Unrivaled raised eyebrows, given her history of limited offensive involvement and a more supportive role in the WNBA. Although she has consistently contributed enough to remain on rosters, she has seldom been the focal point of any team.
Assigned to the Hive, Billings found herself part of a new team entering the Unrivaled landscape. Even though she’s only averaging 11 minutes of playtime per game this season, her scoring has skyrocketed to over 14 points and eight rebounds each night. This level of per-minute production could be considered historic in the basketball realm. After five games, her performance suggests that her successes inside the paint are far from coincidental. While she hasn’t yet hit her stride with the three-point shot, she is utilizing the opportunity to take more attempts than she typically would in traditional 5-on-5 play. Billings has been working on expanding her shooting range over the past few years, and Unrivaled provides the perfect platform for her to test it out.
Billings has formed a solid connection with Hive’s backcourt players, including Sonia Citron, Kelsey Mitchell, and Natisha Hiedeman. Sharing forward duties with Ezi Magbegor and Saniya Rivers, she has managed to carve out her own space within the team’s structure. Her contributions appear to be nearly on par with Magbegor’s and have proven to be more consistent than those of Rivers, whose defensive prowess keeps her on the court. Although the Hive’s current record stands at 1-4, there remains ample time for experimentation with rotations and the pursuit of stability in their lineups.
Marina Mabrey (Lunar Owls BC/Connecticut Sun)
When discussing standout performances in Unrivaled, one cannot overlook the extraordinary contributions of Marina Mabrey. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching a Lunar Owls game, her statistics alone tell a captivating story. Averaging 28.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, her numbers are nothing short of astounding. In fact, she and Paige Bueckers are the only two players to rank in the top 10 for all three statistical categories, with Mabrey leading Bueckers by nearly five points.
Combined, Mabrey and Edwards account for a staggering 49.6 out of the Lunar Owls’ total 65.4 points per game—nearly 76% of the team's scoring! While Mabrey has always been known for her scoring ability, she seems to be operating at an entirely new level in the more open format of Unrivaled. Last season, while playing for Phantom, she averaged 14.7 points but was limited to just three games due to injury. This performance was more aligned with her career average of 13 points per game in the WNBA. It’s challenging to determine whether her outstanding numbers stem from her expanded role on the relatively young Lunar Owls or if she has simply found her rhythm within the 3x3 setup, but it’s clear that something has clicked for her.
Additionally, Mabrey’s competitive spirit can be quite intense, often leading to physical confrontations with opponents. Recently, she engaged in a heated altercation with Courtney Williams from Vinyl during a match, backing up her fierce reputation with a remarkable stat line of 31 points, nine rebounds, and a decisive 11-point victory. While the Lunar Owls may not be winning many games, Mabrey’s individual performance is undeniably captivating and a joy to witness.
