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."
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.
WNBA star Breanna Stewart is heading back overseas, as Fenerbahçe Opet announced Monday that the New York Liberty forward will join the Turkish powerhouse ahead of the 2026 EuroLeague Women Final Six in April.
Taking place in Spain from April 15th through the 19th — days before WNBA players must report to team training camps for the 2026 season — the tournament will determine this year's EuroLeague champion.
The Unrivaled co-founder will first finish out her 3×3 run with the third-place Mist, with the offseason league's final set to tip off on Wednesday, March 4th.
Stewart is no stranger to competing for EuroLeague trophies with Fenerbahçe, with the forward leading the team to the 2022/23 title — and picking up the league's Final Four MVP award along the way.
Even more, that EuroLeague hardware was Stewart's second, after the star claimed the 2020/21 championship — and MVP honors — with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
This time out, Stewart will join a Fenerbahçe roster already stacked with WNBA talent, including Liberty teammate Emma Meesseman, as well as fellow All-Stars Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) and Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm).
The Breanna Stewart signing raises CBA questions for the WNBA
The news of Stewart's overseas trip arrives at an interesting time, as ongoing CBA negotiations threaten to delay the planned 2026 WNBA season start.
The Liberty star's move also raises questions about prioritization rules, with the prior CBA requiring contracted players to rejoin their WNBA teams by the beginning of training camp or May 1st — whichever came later — or face a year-long suspension.
Prior to her European trip, Stewart will finish up the 2026 Unrivaled basketball season, with her 3x3 team Mist BC back on the court against the Lunar Owls at 9:15 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on truTV.
Unrivaled brought the heat over the weekend, as Rose BC guard Chelsea Gray battled her way to the league's 1v1 tournament crown — and its $200,00 prize — on Saturday.
The No. 2 seed earned a comeback win over No. 1 Allisha Gray in the best-of-three final, after dropping No. 7 Natasha Cloud, No. 3 Jackie Young, No. 1 Paige Bueckers, and No. 2 Kelsey Plum en route to the championship series.
"Exhausted," Gray said following her win. "Grateful, humbled, excited, everything, man. I said it out there — a lot of people didn't pick me to be sitting here talking to y'all."
Runner-up Allisha Gray (Mist BC) took home $50,000 for her efforts, while semifinalists Plum and her Phantom BC teammate No. 4 Aliyah Boston each secured a check for $25,000.
"You just gotta take care of the moment and the rest will happen," the 1v1 champion said after overcoming back-to-back deficits. "You dig deep when there’s $200K on the line…. We'll spend that money wisely."
"If I had to lose, at least I lost to the 'Point Gawd,'" Allisha told reporters, referencing Chelsea's longtime nickname. "You can't say I lost to a scrub, man, she's a great player."
How to watch Unrivaled basketball this week
While Chelsea Gray and the other three 1v1 semifinalists can rest until at least Friday, Unrivaled's 3x3 action returns to the Miami court on Tuesday night, when Laces BC will tip off against the Hive at 7:30 PM ET before Breeze BC faces the Lunar Owls at 8:45 PM ET.
Both Tuesday games will air live on TNT.
WNBA standout Angel Reese is getting back in the 3×3 game, with Unrivaled announcing on Wednesday that the Chicago Sky forward will play out the rest of the league's 2026 season with her former team, Rose BC.
Injuries and a recent spat of team trades shook up the eight-team league, leaving Rose BC seeking star power to fill their vacant roster spot.
Reese will hit the court when the league wraps this weekend's 1v1 tournament and returns to 3×3 play, with the 23-year-old next teaming up with Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Shakira Austin, and Sug Sutton for Rose BC's February 20th clash with Hive BC.
With three regular-season games left, Rose BC is hoping Reese will help secure their spot in the 2026 Unrivaled postseason.
As the league's 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, Reese led Unrivaled with 12.2 rebounds per game before a late-season hand injury sidelined her from Rose BC's championship run.
"I miss the development," Reese said about Unrivaled on her podcast Unapologetically Angel. "I can try stuff, I can do whatever, and I can take it and implement it to the W."
Sitting in fifth place on the Unrivaled table, Rose BC is currently on track to punch their ticket to the six-team single-elimination postseason, with the squad expecting to tip off their 2025 title defense on February 28th.
How to watch Angel Reese on the 2026 Unrivaled Basketball court
Reese will make her 2026 Unrivaled debut when Rose BC faces Hive BC at 8:45 PM ET on Friday, February 20th, airing live on TNT.
The 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament has arrived, with the competition tipping off a fully refreshed bracket on Wednesday night — with $300,000 on the line.
With 2025 champion Napheesa Collier sidelined with injury, the 2026 tournament is led by No. 1 seeds Kelsey Mitchell (Hive BC), Paige Bueckers (Breeze BC), Allisha Gray (Mist BC), and Breanna Stewart (Mist BC).
Last year's runner-up Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls) is also back in the mix for the three-day tournament, with Unrivaled rookies Bueckers, Sonia Citron (Hive BC), Saniya Rivers (Vinyl BC), and Dominique Malonga (Breeze BC) gearing up to make their 1v1 debuts.
Originally a 32-player field divided into four eight-player pods, the offseason league dropped a bracket update reflecting recent injuries late Tuesday night, with previously announced competitors Skylar Diggins (Lunar Owls), Jordin Canada (Laces BC), Kahleah Copper (Rose BC), and Rickea Jackson (Breeze BC) out for the now-28-player tournament.
As a result, four players — Rivers as well as Phantom BC's Kelsey Plum, Hive BC's Natisha Hiedeman, and Mist BC's Allisha Gray — received byes through to Friday's second round.
All games in the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament will run a maximum of 10 minutes or until a player reaches 11 points, with a seven-second shot clock and make-it, take-it possession.
Each knockout round will set the scene for Saturday's best-of-three final series, with the champion taking home $200,000, while the runner-up receives $50,000 and semifinalists cash in with $25,000 each.
Fans can also get in on the action by filling out their own 1v1 brackets.
How to watch the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament
The 1v1 tournament opens with all first round matchups on Wednesday, with the competition tipping off live at 7 PM ET on truTV and Max.
With less than four weeks left in the 2026 Unrivaled regular season, the 3x3 basketball league's popular 1v1 tournament is returning for its second iteration in Miami this month.
Tipping off on Wednesday, February 11th, the three-day tournament will feature 32 Unrivaled athletes competing for a piece of the competition's $300,000 purse.
With reigning Unrivaled 1v1 champion Napheesa Collier (Lunar Owls) sidelined with injury, 2025 runner-up Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls) will hold court alongside semifinalist Arike Ogunbowale (Mist BC), while 2026 rookies like Breeze BC's Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga, as well as Hive BC's Saniya Rivers and Sonia Citron, will also test out their 1v1 skills.
Unrivaled has divided the talent pool into four eight-player pods based on frontcourt and backcourt positions.
The eventual winner of the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 basketball tournament will take home $200,000, with a $50,000 check going to the runner-up and $25,000 paydays for each of the semifinalists.
Following next Wednesday's opening round, the competition will break for one day before continuing on Friday, February 13th, with the semifinals and final set for Saturday, February 14th.
How to vote for the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament bracket
Fans can now vote alongside athletes, coaches, and media to determine the seeding of the 1v1 tournament's 32 athletes, with the final bracket dropping on Saturday.
Vote today by ranking each pod's players online.
Unrivaled made a historic splash on Friday, setting a new pro women's basketball regular-season attendance record as 21,490 fans packed the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia for the 3×3 league's first-ever tour stop.
"It was unbelievable. You could feel the love tonight," said Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier about the record-breaking crowd. "It's just a testament to what we're building here, how much people believe in it."
Friday's Unrivaled tally — which also shattered a venue record for the highest attendance of any event — blew through women's basketball's prior record, set in the 2024 WNBA season when a 20,711-strong crowd watched the Indiana Fever top the Washington Mystics inside DC's Capital One Arena.
The reward for Friday's crowd was a larger-than-life performance, as Lunar Owls guard Marina Mabrey dropped a league-record 47 points — complete with 10 three-pointers — in Friday's 85-75 win over Rose BC.
"I think the city is ready for women's professional sports," Philadelphia product and Rose BC guard Kahleah Copper said following the doubleheader, with the City of Brotherly Love gearing up to launch a WNBA expansion team in 2030. "I'm excited that one, it's here, and two, that I'm a part of it."
Last week's success in Philly has Unrivaled already eyeing more tour stops for the offseason league's 2027 season, with this year's action finishing up on the venture's 3x3 home court in Miami.
"We're going to continue to make the sports world proud by the product we put out," Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell told reporters.