The first-ever Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball semifinals took an unexpected turn on Sunday, as No. 4-seed Vinyl BC shocked the league by knocking freshly crowned 2025 MVP Napheesa Collier’s No. 1-seed Lunar Owls out of the competition in a 73-70 nail-biter.
The Lunar Owls dropped just one game all season prior to Sunday’s loss, entering the postseason as the clear favorite to win it all — including the $50,000-per-player championship purse.
On the other hand, the Vinyl narrowly qualified for the inaugural league's playoffs, and trailed the Lunar Owls for much of Sunday's game.
Entering the fourth quarter with a 10-point deficit, the Vinyl raced past the Lunar Owls, sinking 21 more points to stun their decorated opponents and earn a spot in Monday's final.
"We've been counted out this entire season," said Vinyl forward Dearica Hamby after delivering game-winning bucket. "We consider ourselves underdogs, but that didn’t show in our locker room. We never stopped believing in ourselves."
Monday's championship game will pit the Vinyl against late-season dark horse Rose BC, after the short-staffed No. 2 seed overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to earn a 63-57 semifinal win over the No. 3-seed Laces.
With Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese joining Kahleah Copper on the injured end of the Rose bench, guard Chelsea Gray took charge in their absence, polishing off a single-game league-record 39 points with the game-winning three-pointer.
All in all, while Unrivaled co-founder Collier has been the standout all season, that fact that her Lunar Owls will now watch Monday's final from the sidelines only speaks to the league’s wider success.
How to watch the Unrivaled 3×3 championship game
Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever champion on Monday, after the No. 4 Vinyl contend against the No. 2 Rose in the offseason league's inaugural title game.
The action will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on TNT.
The higher seeds handled business on Tuesday, as twin first-round sweeps saw the Liberty and Aces emerge 2-0 from the best-of-three series to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs.
Fueled by Sabrina Ionescu's 36 points, which tied New York's single-game playoff scoring record, the Liberty came from behind to defeat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 before the Aces held off the Storm 83-76.
The wins set up an electric second-round matchup between 2023 championship foes New York and Las Vegas.
Last year, the back-to-back defending champion Aces needed just four Finals games to beat New York for the title. To take aim at the elusive three-peat, No. 4-seed Las Vegas will have to advance past the top-seeded Liberty in the 2024 semifinals, which will tip off on Sunday, September 29th.
Despite four Finals appearances, the Liberty is the only remaining original WNBA franchise without a championship.
Could tonight's WNBA playoff game be Diana Taurasi's last?
Wednesday night's WNBA playoffs could see the end of legend Diana Taurasi's professional career, as her No. 7-seed Phoenix Mercury attempts to avoid elimination against No. 2-seed Minnesota.
Now in her 20th season, 42-year-old Taurasi — an 11-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion, former league and Finals MVP, and the WNBA's all-time leading scorer — has hinted that this year might be her last.
Caitlin Clark and the No. 6-seed Fever will also be playing for survival tonight after Sunday's blowout loss to No. 3-seed Connecticut. An Indiana win would send the best-of-three series to Indianapolis, known for their rocking crowds.
How to watch round one of the WNBA playoffs tonight
The Fever will tip off against the Sun at 7:30 PM ET tonight. Immediately following, the Mercury will take on the Lynx at 9:30 PM ET. Both games will air live on ESPN.
The WNBA is back and better than ever this weekend, with CBS airing big-name matchups sure to set the tone for the final month of the regular season.
First, Minnesota and Washington will face off on Saturday at 2 PM ET, with the Lynx aiming to go two-for-two against the Mystics after securing a tight 79-68 win on Thursday. And in the 4 PM ET game of Saturday's CBS doubleheader, New York and Las Vegas will battle for the second time this season after the Liberty took the first 2023 WNBA Finals rematch back in June.
TV and streaming platforms bet on watching the WNBA
The WNBA has become a fixture of summer weekend viewing, with Prime showcasing games on Thursdays, Ion covering Fridays, and a variety of other national channels hosting the league throughout the week.
Plus, after Team USA won Olympic gold in front of as many as 10.9 million US viewers, expect the league — and the platforms who host the W — to harness that momentum all the way to the season's finish line.
Thursday night on Prime, for instance, saw Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Diana Taurasi, and Brittney Griner record a monster 85-65 Mercury win over the Sky, successfully marking Copper's first trip back to Chicago since her preseason trade.
The Liberty also notched a massive Thursday win on ESPN, blasting the LA Sparks 103-68 as Olympic medalists Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Dearica Hamby returned to action.
Wings' roster changes take center court tonight
Tonight, attention will turn to Ion as Seattle takes on Atlanta, Phoenix travels to Indiana, and Connecticut matches up against Dallas.
The Wings currently sit at the bottom of the league standings, but the return of Satou Sabally and Maddy Siegrist (from injuries that sidelined them prior to the Olympics) will boost their lineup. However, Dallas had to release Odyssey Sims and Monique Billings from their hardship contracts, infusing the free agency market with talent and catching the eyes of teams looking for midseason pick-ups.
Fever vs. Storm game highlights Sunday's WNBA lineup
On Sunday, ABC will showcase Indiana and Seattle squaring off inside Indianapolis's newly announced 2025 WNBA All-Star Game stadium. While Indiana hopes to solidify their place above the playoff line, Seattle — who won four of their last five pre–Olympic break games — keeps rising toward the top of the WNBA standings.
While the WNBA readies for a comeback, Olympic 3×3 bronze medalist and LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has escalated her legal disputes with both the Las Vegas Aces and the league at large.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, August 12th, Hamby claims her former Las Vegas team subjected her to "repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation" in regards to a pregnancy she disclosed prior to her January 2023 trade to Los Angeles.
Hamby also alleges the WNBA failed to properly investigate and punish the organization. The league did suspend head coach Becky Hammon for two games and rescinded the team's 2025 first round draft pick.
From contract extension to LA Sparks trade
Hamby won a WNBA Championship with the Aces in 2022, about two months after signing a deal to extend her contract for two additional years. The suit states that she found out she was pregnant in mid-July of 2022 — after finalizing her extension deal — and informed the team in early August.
Following her pregnancy disclosure, Hamby alleges that she suffered retaliation including rescinded access to player housing and the refusal to pay her daughter's school tuition. She also contends that Hammon questioned her dedication to the team, asking her if she'd planned the pregnancy prior to her trade.
After giving birth to her son in April 2023, Hamby played all 40 games of the 2023 WNBA season with the Sparks.
Hamby seeks legal damages as Aces double down
Hamby is now seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, including coverage for economic losses and attorney's fees.
"The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing," she said in a January 2023 social media post.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Aces affirmed "As an organization, we continue to stand behind our statement on May 16, 2023, made at the conclusion of the WNBA's investigation into this matter."
Dearica Hamby has been named to USA Basketball's official 3×3 Olympic roster, replacing an injured Cameron Brink.
The Los Angeles Sparks forward has extensive experience with the 3×3 team, including taking home both a gold medal and MVP honors at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup.
Brink originally made the roster in early June, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Los Angeles’s June 18th loss to Connecticut.
"It is an honor to announce Dearica Hamby's addition to the USA 3×3 women's national team and we look forward to getting to work as a squad very soon," USA Basketball 3×3 national team director Jay Demings said in a statement. "USA Basketball continues to keep Cameron Brink in our thoughts as she focuses on her recovery."
Hamby will join 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup champions Hailey Van Lith (TCU), CIerra Burdick, and Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) in Paris.
Dearica Hamby’s former Las Vegas Aces teammates cut off contact with her after she went public with her claims of mistreatment by the team, she said in a discrimination complaint filed on Sept. 22.
In the complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the Aces and the WNBA, the 29-year-old forward alleges that Las Vegas traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks in January because she was pregnant. She also contends that the WNBA “failed to properly investigate” the incident in “retaliation” for her public comments about the situation, as first reported by the Washington Post.
Hamby first spoke out about “unethical treatment” by the Aces in the immediate aftermath of her trade. But in the complaint, she shares new details of her allegations.
After she revealed her pregnancy in August, the Aces “retaliated” against her, creating an “abusive and hostile” work environment, Hamby said. Her former teammates cut off communication with her after she spoke out, per the complaint.
And even after she was traded to the Sparks, Hamby claims the Aces attempted to obtain private OBGYN medical records, as reported by CBS Sports.
Hamby also claims that the WNBA failed to interview any current Aces players in the investigation. At the conclusion of the investigation, the league suspended Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon for two games, and also rescinded the team’s 2025 first-round draft pick.
“The league conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations and levied appropriate discipline based on its findings,” the WNBA said in a statement.
Dearica Hamby has filed a federal discrimination complaint against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces, as first reported by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy.
In the complaint, filed last week with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Hamby alleges that the Aces traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks in January because she was pregnant. She also contends that the WNBA “failed to properly investigate” the incident in “retaliation” for her public comments about the situation, Hensley-Clancy reported.
The 29-year-old forward went public with her claims of “unethical treatment” from the Aces after the trade, which then led to an investigation by the WNBA. Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon received a two-game suspension for making comments related to Hamby’s pregnancy in violation of Respect in the Workplace policies.
In the complaint, Hamby recalls Hammon informing her of her trade to the Sparks: “During this conversation, I stated twice to Hammon, ‘You’re trading me because I am pregnant?’ Hammon responded, ‘What do you want me to do?'”
After winning the 2022 WNBA title with the Aces, Hamby announced her pregnancy during the Aces’ victory parade. The two-time Sixth Player of the Year gave birth to son Legend in March, and she played all 40 games of the 2023 season for the Sparks, averaging 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game.
The news of the complaint comes as Hammon and the Aces prepare to face off against the New York Liberty in the 2023 WNBA Finals.
Dearica Hamby is an inspiration to “all working mothers,” Los Angeles Sparks coach Curt Miller said Sunday after his team’s season finale.
Hamby welcomed her son Legend in March, two months after her trade to the Sparks. Following the move, she claimed her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, had “discriminated against” her due to her pregnancy.
For the Sparks, Hamby played all 40 games of the 2023 WNBA season, averaging 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game.
“The W has incredible individual stories each season, but I would love to shout-out @dearicamarie!” he wrote on social media. “Dearica played in ALL 40-regular season games shortly after giving birth to her second child. She is a true inspiration to our entire league and all working mothers.”
Hamby responded, writing: “Thank you for believing in me to come back so soon.”
Thank you Coach ❤️ and thank you for believing in me to come back so soon. https://t.co/b3gaf1xuHW
— Dearica Marie Hamby (@dearicamarie) September 11, 2023
The 29-year-old forward also thanked her two children, daughter Amaya and son Legend. She posted two videos of them supporting her at home and watching her play.
And my kids… thank you to my kidssssssss 🥺🥺 pic.twitter.com/COaMVDJTQy
— Dearica Marie Hamby (@dearicamarie) September 11, 2023
After winning the 2022 WNBA title with the Aces, she announced her pregnancy during the championship parade. But after her offseason trade, she wrote a statement outlining the Aces’ treatment of her after she revealed her pregnancy, calling it “unprofessional and unethical.”
“I was told that I was ‘a question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team,” she wrote.
After an investigation into Hamby’s claims, the WNBA suspended Aces head coach Becky Hammon without pay for the first two games of the 2023 season. The league also stripped the team of its 2025 first-round draft pick.
In announcing the Aces’ punishments, the WNBA confirmed that Hammon made comments to Hamby about her pregnancy in violation of the league’s Respect in the Workplace policies, but Hammon has denied Hamby’s specific claims.
Dearica Hamby was welcomed back to Las Vegas with a standing ovation Saturday as the Aces received their 2022 WNBA championship rings.
The 29-year-old forward was traded in January to the Los Angeles Sparks, who lost 93-65 to the Aces on the night of their banner-raising ceremony.
The game also marked the return of Aces head coach Becky Hammon as well, who was suspended for the first two games of the season following a WNBA investigation into the circumstances surrounding Hamby’s departure. Following the trade, Hamby criticized the “unprofessional and unethical way” the team treated her due to her pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby boy in the offseason.
The WNBA suspended Hammon for making comments to Hamby about her pregnancy in violation of the league’s Respect in the Workplace policies. The league also rescinded the Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick due to promises of “impermissible benefits” made to Hamby during her contract negotiations.
Despite the rocky end to her tenure in Las Vegas, Hamby received a warm welcome from the home crowd as she accepted her championship ring. She played for the franchise from 2015 to 2022.
Dearica Hamby receives a huge applause at the Michelob Ultra Arena tonight. 💍 pic.twitter.com/QUYvpyEXDj
— Paloma Villicana (@PalomaFOX5News) May 28, 2023
“Obviously a moment that I know I should probably be proud of and embrace,” Hamby told the Associated Press before the game. “I mean, me getting a ring is special, but I’m going to do it for the fans.”
Hamby’s former teammates were happy to share the honor with her.
“I feel like it was a great moment for her to have, a great moment for us to share with her,” Aces star A’ja Wilson said. “We don’t win the ring without [Dearica]. I’m not gonna not say that because it’s true. So it’s very great she could have that moment and share it with her two children and her mom and her sister there. And it was really good to see her.”
If Hamby and the Sparks were looking to spoil ring night, though, they failed to do so. The shorthanded lineup, which was without Chiney Ogwumike, Jordin Canada and Layshia Clarendon, among others, fell to the Aces. Wilson led Las Vegas with 23 points and 6 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon is adamant that her two-game suspension for violating league and team Respect in the Workplace policies is unfounded.
The WNBA handed the 2022 Coach of the Year a two-game suspension without pay on Tuesday in relation to Las Vegas’ trade of Dearica Hamby back in January. The league’s investigation also found the Aces had made promises of “impermissible benefits” when negotiating a two-year contract extension with Hamby last June and stripped the organization of its 2025 first-round draft pick.
Hamby was pregnant at the time of her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks and said in an Instagram post that the Aces organization “bullied, manipulated, lied to and discriminated against” her due to her pregnancy.
“I was told that I was ‘a question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team,” Hamby wrote. “I was told that ‘I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain’ (because ‘no one expected me to get pregnant in the next two years’).”
Hammon says those claims are false.
“I handled Dearica with care from day one when she told me (about the pregnancy), and she knows that,” Hammon said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Hamby never specified who within the Aces organization made the discriminatory statements, though she did say in interviews following the initiation of an investigation that it was an individual and not a group of people.
The league investigation revealed that the individual was Hammon.
“The Respect in the Workplace violation was related to comments made by Hammon to Hamby in connection with Hamby’s recent pregnancy,” the WNBA statement reads.
The WNBA added that the investigation included interviews of 33 players and the review of texts, emails and other documents. Hammon denied texting or emailing Hamby anything negative regarding her pregnancy.
“Those are completely false,” Hammon said of the allegations. “I never had one bad text between me and Dearica Hamby. Completely false. Or email. First of all, I don’t email my players, I talk to them directly. But we do exchange texts, and anything that is less than the up-and-up I can tell you is adamantly false from any person in this organization. That’s not how we do business. That’s not who we are.”
Hammon also said that she and Hamby had a “great relationship” and that the trade was “nothing personal.”
In her statement at the time of the trade, Hamby acknowledged that “being traded is part of the business” and specified that she did not take issue with the trade itself but rather the way she was treated throughout the process.
According to Hammon, the trade came down to “math and business.” Dealing Hamby to L.A. created enough cap space at the time for the reigning champion Aces to sign Candace Parker in free agency and form what many have dubbed a superteam.
Hammon went on to say that no one on the current Aces roster was interviewed in the investigation.
“I know that because none of the girls told me they were interviewed or asked to be interviewed,” she said, without acknowledging whether it was possible that players were interviewed and elected not to tell their coach.
In response to the league’s decision on Tuesday, the WNBA Players Association said that the punishment does not do enough to uphold the 2020 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
“The League had an opportunity to send a clear message that it abides by and protects the provisions of the CBA, particularly those that we were most proud of — the provisions meant to support player parents,” the statement reads. “Today’s decision regarding penalties, however, misses the mark.”
The Aces organization pledged its support to Hammon in response to the penalties.
“The WNBA’s determinations about Becky Hammon are inconsistent with what we know and love about her,” the team said in a statement Tuesday. “Becky is a caring human being who forges close personal relationships with her players. We stand behind Coach Hammon as she continues to lead the Las Vegas Aces.”
The Aces open the 2023 regular season against the Seattle Storm on Saturday. Hammon will return to the sidelines for Las Vegas’ third game at home against Hamby and the Sparks on Saturday, May 27.
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.