The 2026 season of Unrivaled 3x3 Basketball saw both gains and losses, with the second-year league reporting rising attendance and revenue while also experiencing a TV ratings drop.
Arguably the league's biggest successes this year were the Miami-based offseason venture's two satellite events, with Unrivaled drawing a professional women's basketball regular-season record crowd of 21,490 fans in Philadelphia last month before adding a second sellout tour stop in Brooklyn for March's semifinals.
Buoyed by those off-campus events as well as expanded fan capacity at the league's Sephora Arena home, Unrivaled earned millions in ticket sales in 2026, garnering a more than 200% increase over its debut season.
Season 2, however, also experienced a broadcast dip, as the semifinals averaged 213,000 viewers with overall playoff viewership down 9% from 2025.
This year's Unrivaled championship game did provide some bounce-back, with the Mist's trophy win delivering the third-most watched game in league history — trailing only 2025's 1v1 tournament final and the inaugural title game.
Despite the viewership decline, Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler reported that the league brought in $45 million in total revenue this year — up from 2025's $27 million.
"Last year, when we had projected $13.5 million in revenue, we actually ended up with $27 million in revenue, and this year, we're at approximately $45 million," Lawler told reporters. "That speaks to the financial performance, but it's a natural byproduct of putting the players and the fans first while consistently raising the bar and setting new standards."
Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after authorities arrested her at a Miami nightclub earlier this week.
The arrest occurred early Thursday, just hours after Ogunbowale helped Mist BC defeat Phantom to win the 2026 Unrivaled Championship. The four-time WNBA All-Star scored 19 points off the bench in the title game.
Miami court records state that Ogunbowale allegedly punched a security staff member who was escorting her out of the establishment due to an unrelated altercation, causing the victim to fall to the ground.
After security alerted an officer about an altercation inside the venue, the officer observed a large crowd being escorted out. The alleged victim then provided a statement claiming Ogunbowale struck him while he was ushering her out of the club.
Nightclub footage reviewed by authorities confirmed the victim's statement.
Fox Sports South Florida's Andy Slater first reported the arrest Friday.
"WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale was arrested on Thursday while celebrating her team's Unrivaled basketball championship at Club E11EVEN in Miami," Slater tweeted. "Police sources tell me she punched a man in the face and he fell to the ground. It was also caught on camera."
The Dallas Wings subsequently released their own statement.
"The Wings are aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and are in the process of gathering more information," the team wrote. "Further comments will be provided once we have more details."
The 29-year-old guard starred for the Wings during the 2025 WNBA season. She went on to compete in Unrivaled's second season, where she played a key role in Mist BC's championship run.
No additional details have been released.
Breanna Stewart played hero in Wednesday night's 2026 Unrivaled championship game, lifting the No. 2-seed Mist BC over the top-seeded Phantom 80-74 to claim the 3×3 basketball league's Season 2 trophy.
The Unrivaled co-founder and Wednesday's Championship Game MVP dropped 32 points in the title victory while Stewart's Mist teammates Arike Ogunbowale and Allisha Gray added 19 and 12 points, respectively.
Though they failed to log a win over the Phantom in regular-season play, the Mist came through when it counted, booking both the 2026 title and the championship team check worth $600,000.
Despite the loss, Phantom guard Kelsey Plum made Unrivaled history in the matchup, scoring a playoff-record 40 points as her team fought to overcome the loss of 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston, who missed the Unrivaled postseason due to injury.
"AB's been our anchor defensively all year," Plum told reporters postgame. "We missed her a lot tonight."
As for the Mist, Wednesday's title represents a big club turnaround after the team ended 2025 in fifth place, missing the playoffs entirely before restocking their roster ahead of this year's second-place finish.
"What I'll remember the most about this Mist team is we might not be the loudest, but we're going to work the hardest," Stewart said.
The second season of Unrivaled basketball is down to two teams, as 2025's lowest-ranked finishers — Phantom BC and Mist BC — flipped the script this year, setting up a "worst-to-first" championship battle for the 3×3 league's 2026 crown on Wednesday night.
The Phantom entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, taking down Vinyl BC in Monday's semifinals before the No. 2 Mist scored a comeback victory over expansion side Breeze BC to book their spot in Wednesday's final.
"Our goal is a championship, and that has been the goal from the very beginning," said Mist center Alanna Smith prior to the playoffs.
The Mist will lean on the all-around dominance from forward Breanna Stewart and guard Allisha Gray as they look to secure the 2026 Unrivaled title, while Phantom BC will see their sharpshooting guards in the spotlight, led by the league's third-leading scorer, Kelsey Plum.
As well as bragging rights, Wednesday's champions will also take home a cut of the $600,000 prize pool, up from the $50,000-per-player payday Rose BC banked with their victory last season.
"This league is so tough, and everyone's coming to play," said Plum.
How to Watch the 2026 Unrivaled Championship
The No. 1 Phantom will tip off against the No. 2 Mist for the 2026 Unrivaled crown at 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, airing live on TNT.
Unrivaled Basketball came to play on Monday, as No. 1 seed Phantom BC and No. 2 Mist BC took down their challengers at the 3×3 league's 2026 semifinals in Brooklyn.
Kelsey Plum dominated the first matchup, scoring 31 points to offset Vinyl forward Dearica Hamby's 30 points and help secure the 83-75 Phantom win.
Then in the night's second clash, the Mist mounted a 16-point comeback to beat the Breeze, with Arike Ogunbowale hitting the game-winning three-pointer to clinch the 73-69 victory.
In addition to setting Wednesday's final, Monday's Barclays Center festivities also showcased the second-year league's continued success.
Prior to tip off, Unrivaled Basketball announced that the league is raking in $45 million in revenue this year — including $1 million in semifinals sales alone — up from $27 million in 2025.
"That speaks to the financial performance, but it's as a natural byproduct of putting the players and the fans first while consistently raising the bar and setting new standards, thereby proving what's possible when you focus on the true value drivers of a sport," said Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler.
How to watch the Unrivaled Basketball final this week
The winner-take-all 2026 Unrivaled final tips off in Miami on Wednesday, when the No. 2 Mist will battle the No. 1 Phantom live at 9:30 PM ET on TNT.
Paige Bueckers addressed the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations ahead of Monday's Unrivaled Basketball semifinals, telling reporters that talks have stalled between the league and WNBPA.
"At this point, it's not really a negotiation anymore," Bueckers said. "Like, both sides aren't moving. So I feel like we need to continue to have these conversations, continue to actually have change implemented for us to move on our stance."
The WNBA submitted its latest proposal ahead of the Unrivaled Basketball showcase in Brooklyn, with players appearing dissatisfied with the offer. Bueckers later emphasized that players want to avoid a work stoppage but need proper compensation.
"We as players, we don't want to strike. We want to have a season. I love playing basketball. That's all I want to do," the Dallas Wings guard continued. "But again, there are things that need to be handled, and we want to do it as professionals."
The league recently set a March 10th CBA deadline to keep the season on schedule., with teams looking complete free agency, trades, and the draft before the late April preseason tip-off. FIBA World Cup qualifiers start next week, adding pressure to the timeline. Nevertheless, the two sides remain far apart on revenue sharing.
The Wings face significant uncertainty heading into the season, with Dallas hiring a new head coach while also owning the No. 1 draft pick. However, the Wings have made zero offseason moves as negotiations continue.
In her remarks, Bueckers noted that she and Caitlin Clark are boosting league value, with the players requesting proper compensation for their contributions. A strike could seriously derail the entire 2026 season unless both sides reach a deal by March 10th.
Cameron Brink revealed her fiancé took an unconventional approach to getting her attention at Stanford this week, with the WNBA and Unrivaled Basketball star saying Ben Felton sent her an email instead of sliding into her DMs.
Felton, who competed on Stanford's rowing team, apparently made his move via a straightforward email.
"Hey Cameron, Wanted to chat you up but I think dms are a bit creepy. Not that an email is much better so here's my number," Felton wrote.
The strategy worked, as Brink and Felton began dating in March 2021.
Felton later proposed in September 2024 at the Shangri-La Paris Hotel in France, surprising Brink with the engagement after she attended a Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week.
Brink helped lead Stanford to two national championship games during her four-year college career, establishing herself as one of college basketball's premier players before going pro at the 2024 WNBA Draft. Brink now plays for the LA Sparks and Unrivaled Basketball's Breeze BC.
The couple plans to marry at Stanford's Memorial Church on campus, with Brink telling People Magazine she hopes to exchange vows at the location where their relationship began.
Felton's approach proved more effective than a typical DM, as Brink's large following made standing out difficult. However, the email introduction caught her attention and sparked a lasting relationship.
The couple's Stanford connection remains central to their love story.
Unrivaled is headed for the Big Apple, as Saturday's first round of heated playoff competition set the stage for the 3x3 league's off-campus semifinals at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Monday night.
Tipping off the 2026 postseason with an upset, No. 6-seed Vinyl BC took down the No. 3 Laces 82-69 on Saturday, with Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby combining for 55 points to send the 2025 runners-up to the semis.
Continuing the upset trend, No. 5 Breeze BC then knocked out reigning champion No. 4 Rose BC 69-50, fueled by Paige Bueckers's game-leading 29 points and fellow Unrivaled rookie star Dominique Malonga's 14-point, 17-rebound double-double.
Top seeds Phantom BC and Mist BC now await the first-round winners in New York, though the No. 1 Phantom won't benefit from their bye as much as they'd hoped.
The team announced Sunday that Unrivaled's 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston is out with a right lower extremity injury.
Boston now joins guard Dana Evans on the season-ending injury list as development player pool replacements Aziaha James and Makayla Timpson will round out the Phantom roster in Brooklyn.
How to watch the 2026 Unrivaled semifinals
The 2026 Unrivaled semifinals tip off in NYC at 7:30 PM ET on Monday night, when the No. 6 Vinyl will take on the No. 1 Phantom.
Then at 8:45 PM ET, the No. 2 Mist will face off against the No. 5 Breeze for the final spot in Wednesday's champtionship game.
Both semis will air live on TNT.
Unrivaled is down to its final regular-season slate, as the 3×3 basketball league determines each of its six playoff teams' paths to the 2026 championship on Friday.
No. 1 seed Phantom BC already secured one of the two first-round byes, but both Mist BC and Laces BC currently sit in a 9-4 season record tie as they jockey for the No. 2 spot — and a direct trip to the semifinals on Monday.
Meanwhile, Breeze BC, defending champion Rose BC, and Vinyl BC are all locked into first-round berths, though Friday's results could impact postseason seeding and matchups.
The first-round quartet won't have much time to rest, as the postseason tips off less than 24 hours after the final regular-season matchup, with playoffs beginning in Miami on Saturday evening before heading to Brooklyn's Barclays Center for Monday's semifinals.
The league will then return to its south Florida home court to crown the 2026 Unrivaled champion on Wednesday, March 4th.
How to watch the Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball this weekend
Friday's 2026 Unrivaled regular-season finale begins with Hive BC facing the Lunar Owls at 1 PM ET before Mist BC takes on the Vinyl at 2:15 PM ET, live on truTV.
The evening doubleheader pits Rose BC against the Phantom at 7:30 PM ET and the Breeze vs. the Laces at 8:45 PM ET, airing on TNT.
With just one game remaining in the 2026 Unrivaled regular season, the postseason fates of all eight 3×3 basketball teams are set, with six squads already clinching their spots in Saturday's playoffs.
Original Unrivaled franchises Phantom, Mist, Laces, Vinyl, and defending champion Rose BC are all moving forward along with rookie expansion side Breeze BC, while the 2025 semifinalist Lunar Owls and 2026 debutant Hive BC will both see their seasons end on Friday afternoon.
"I think us clicking off the court really helps us click on the court," Phantom guard Tiffany Hayes said of her league-leading team's six-game winning streak following their victory over the Laces last Friday. "Hopefully, we'll keep going up and get some more done."
Seeding could make all the difference in this year's expanded postseason field, as the season's top two finishers will secure automatic byes through to the 2026 semifinals — set for Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Monday, March 2nd.
Meanwhile, the remaining four playoff teams will tip off first-round play this Saturday, with the postseason culminating in a single-game championship round in Miami on Wednesday, March 4th.
The 2026 Unrivaled champions will split a $600,000 prize pool, up from the $50,000-per-player payday Rose BC banked in 2025.
How to watch Unrivaled basketball this week
The 2026 Unrivaled regular season wraps on Friday, with action starting at 1 PM ET.
Then on Saturday, the postseason hits the court as the first round of playoff action tips off at 8:30 PM ET.
All Friday and Saturday games will air live on truTV.