 | Presented By  |
| From The GIST Team |
Us again! | ||
| We're back in your inbox because Unrivaled, the innovative and exhilarating 3v3 league founded by WNBA superstars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, tips off today at 1 p.m. ET in Miami. Jump in the layup line, and let's hoop to it. | ||
| Quote of The Day |
 | I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season. I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way, and I will continue to work relentlessly with the rest of the players and our staff to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women's basketball. |
 | — The aforementioned Collier, who announced on New Year's Day that she'll be sidelined for up to six months after undergoing double ankle surgery. It's a devastating start to 2026 for the reigning Unrivaled MVP, but she's still blazing a trail for women's hoops…even on crutches. |
| The Breakdown |
⏪ Here's what you missed on |
💪 The teams Source: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images ☝️ First things first: Like Unrivaled's inaugural campaign, rosters were decided via a draft…with one major change: Last year's playoff teams could protect two players, while non-playoff teams protected one each. And that's on shaking it up.
🌬️ Breeze BC: Headlined by a former intern — a little someone named Paige Bueckers — Breeze are young, talented, and undeniably the future of women's hoops. No pressure. 🐝 Hive BC: Led by Kelsey Mitchell and Natisha Hiedeman, these speedsters are poised to swarm the opposition. Expect nothing less than a defensive masterclass. 👟 Laces BC: Any team featuring the Engine (aka Alyssa Thomas) is a bona fide title contender, and the ever-evolving Jackie Young is, ahem, lacing 'em up again, too. Talk about a one-two punch. 🦉 Lunar Owls BC: Without her partner-in-hoops, the injured Collier, Skylar Diggins is on a revenge mission after last year's regular-season top dogs suffered a shocking semifinal exit. 🌧️ Mist BC: The new-look Mist only return the iconic Stewart from last year's roster. But that doesn't mean they lack chemistry: Five hoopers have played together in some capacity in the W. 👻 Phantom BC: Boasting Kelsey Plum, Natasha Cloud, and Aliyah Boston, no squad balances sass and skill better than Phantom. Come for the trash talk; stay for the deep bags. 🌹 Rose BC: With four of the six players from last year's squad back in green, the defending champs are ready to run it back. Truly blooming where they were planted. 🎶 Vinyl BC: Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard's 3x3 Olympic gold medal is a testament to the dynamic duo's aptitude for the small-sided game. Turn it up.     |
| Presented By Unrivaled 🔥 The hottest opening day lineup in sports Source: Unrivaled You know the feeling that makes you love sports? That electric buzz before tip‑off, the don't‑talk‑to‑me‑right‑now focus, and the thrill of watching the best of the best: That's Unrivaled.
And today's opening day slate is absolute fire: 🌧️ Mist BC at 🐝 Hive BC — 1 p.m. ET — truTV 🎶 Vinyl BC at 👟 Laces BC — 2:15 p.m. ET — truTV 🤝 Hydrate, refuel, and reset 🦉 Lunar Owls BC at 🌹 Rose BC — 8 p.m. ET — TNT 👻 Phantom BC at 🌬️ Breeze BC — 9:15 p.m. ET — TNT That nostalgic sprint to the couch after a commercial break? Yeah, that's so back. Because with basketball this good, you can't afford to miss a minute. |
👀 Storylines to watch Source: Megan Briggs/Getty Images ⭐ The influx of starpower: This year's cohort of Unrivaled debutants includes some big names — the aforementioned Bueckers, Plum, and Mitchell scream superstar, but rookie sensations Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron, and Dominique Malonga are giving "it girl," too. 👀 The inaugural Free Throw Challenge: Never one to shy away from competition (and cash), Unrivaled will award $50K to the player with the highest free throw percentage after five games.
💅 The arena upgrades: As if last season's state-of-the-art facility wasn't enough, Unrivaled is raising the bar once again. They've added 15K square feet of player-first facilities, including a second practice court, and 150 seats to bring capacity to 1K. 📈 The metrics: A big reason why Unrivaled expanded so quickly was because it outperformed all expectations — from booming viewership to sold-out merch — in its debut season. Supply meet demand. 🌶️ The WNBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations: The elephant in every women's basketball room, CBA negotiations between the WNBA and its players' union will continue throughout the Unrivaled season. There's no milk that can mellow out this spice.
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 Source: Unrivaled 🚀 Women's basketball has leveled up — and so has our coverage. Every Friday during the Unrivaled season, we're dropping a newsletter dedicated to the league that's revolutionizing women's hoops. Here's what you can expect: 📈 Breakdowns of Unrivaled's spiciest games ⭐ Deep dives on the league's brightest stars 🔥 Hot takes and the stats that back them up 🏀 If you love hoops when the stakes are high and the stories run deep, opt in now. Go on, be part of The GIST's Unrivaled era. |
| The GIST's List |
Your Unrivaled Watch Party Starter Pack
 | 1. Your fave team's jerseyWhether you're buzzing with the Hive or swaying with the Breeze, represent your squad with the coolest jerseys in the game. |
 | 2. Unrivaled merchShow your love for the league by rocking their gear. Our pick? This stylish snapback. |
 | 3. All of the gameday snacksMight we suggest a perfect chocolate and peanut butter collab or perhaps a spicier morsel to match the on-court product. |
 | 4. The right streaming subscriptionIf you're watching in the U.S., tune in on TruTV and HBO Max, while Canadian hoopheads can head to YouTube to catch all the action. |
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Today's email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo. Editing by Molly Potter. Fact-checking and operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
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