On Wednesday night in Miami, 28 top WNBA players will begin competing in Unrivaled’s highly anticipated second annual 1-on-1 tournament, featuring a total prize pool of $300,000. The event is designed to spotlight individual skill and intense competition, continuing the excitement that marked last year’s successful debut tournament.
The competitors have been divided into four groups based on their playing positions, with each group originally containing eight players; however, last-minute withdrawals mean some guard pods now have six participants. The format is single elimination through Saturday’s championship round, which will be played as a best-of-three series. Early rounds and semifinals are contested up to 11 points or 10 minutes, with scoring by twos and threes, while the championship games are played to eight points or 10 minutes. Each game uses a make-it, take-it rule and a seven-second shot clock, ensuring a fast-paced and strategic contest.
Tournament Prize Breakdown and Returning Champion’s Absence
The winner of the tournament will receive a prize of $200,000, while the runner-up will earn $50,000. The two players eliminated in the semifinals will each take home $25,000. Napheesa Collier, who co-founded Unrivaled with Breanna Stewart and won the inaugural tournament, will not be defending her title this year due to recent surgeries on both ankles, creating an open field for a new champion to emerge.
Insights from Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum Ahead of Competition
Prior to the tournament’s start, CBS Sports interviewed co-founder Breanna Stewart and newcomer Kelsey Plum to discuss the format, players’ preparation, and the event’s growing significance. Stewart expressed pride in introducing a fresh format to the basketball world, saying,
“At Unrivaled we’re doing things that haven’t been done before, obviously, with the format of the game. And we wanted to bring 1-on-1 into that so that you can really showcase your skills and go against all the other best players here and have a monetary prize behind it. I think that’s something that’s motivating for everyone. Once you step on that court, everyone’s going after it.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Stewart also expressed excitement about the increased prize money and the change in scheduling:
“I’m really happy. Shoutout to our partners, shoutout to Sprite for being back with us and making that pot money $300,000. I think that’s eye-popping for everybody and everybody really wants to go and get it. I think it will be cool this time because all the games will be at night for the first round, so that buzz and that hype will grow as the night goes on.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
New Competitor Kelsey Plum’s Approach to the Tournament
This is Kelsey Plum’s first appearance at this event, and she shared her excitement and mindset going into her first matchup.
“I’m excited, I’m just gonna have fun with it. I have a great first-round matchup. [Natisha] Hiedeman’s a great competitor, we’re buddies, so we’re just gonna have a great time. I haven’t really looked past anything but that.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
Due to late changes, Plum and Hiedeman will receive byes to the second round and face each other on Friday night. Plum also described her preparation process:
“I play off of instinct, so kinda really just reading and reacting. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. You’ve been doing it your whole life, so gotta trust your instincts and just go hoop.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
Breanna Stewart’s Goals and Strategy for This Year’s Event
Stewart, coming off last year’s early exit and returning fully healthy, shared her practical approach to the competition:
“I’m feeling good. I’m happy to be healthy and really playing the way that I know that I can. I’m just gonna enjoy it. I have small goals. My first goal is to score a basket and then from there it’s taking it step-by-step. That’s the thing about this. Listen, it can be anyone’s game. Whoever gets hot and can score 11 points is the winner and I’m literally gonna take it step-by-step.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Regarding preparing for her opponent Li Yueru, Stewart said,
“I’m just gonna go and just play. Not think too much about it and just try to give [Li Yueru] tough shots. I don’t want her to get underneath the basket.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Lessons Learned from Last Year’s Competition
Both Stewart and Plum highlighted important takeaways from the prior tournament. Stewart emphasized the importance of early momentum:
“I think the thing you learn is you gotta make your first shot and try to separate yourself as quickly as possible because you never know when somebody’s gonna go on a spree and knock down a bunch of shots.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Plum echoed the sentiment, underscoring the necessity of scoring:
“If you watched last year’s, you probably picked up some little cues here and there, just like, schematically, what’s the best way to go about it. But honestly, at the end of the day you gotta make shots. That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve taken away is you gotta score.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
The Competitive Yet Respectful Atmosphere Among Players
Despite the fierce stakes and friendships among players, the event maintains a respectful tone. Stewart described the environment before the games:
“I think it’s gonna be competitive. It’s like, we’ll be supporting each other but also not. Everybody’s gonna be frenemies over here. I also think 1-on-1 is about respect. You know that you’re going at it on the court, but you’re still trying to play basketball the right way, and if someone scores a tough basketball on you, you give them props for that.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Plum reflected on the blend of camaraderie and intensity:
“Everyone understands what’s at stake. It’s a lot of money and everyone is super cool and friendly, but I’m sure when the lights come on – very similar to the games we have here – it gets very intense, very aggressive, very competitive. I don’t expect that to be any different.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
Rationale Behind Position-Based Groupings
Organizers separated competitors into pods based on their playing positions to balance matchups and maintain smooth tournament flow. Plum weighed in:
“Well hey, don’t kill me, I could face [a center] in the Finals. But I think the pods are great. I think to be honest, it’s better just in terms of the fluidity. I think last year got a little bit clunky sometimes with certain matchups. Eventually, though, you’re gonna have to run into somebody. But I think they did a great job this year.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
Stewart added,
“I think it’s smart just because the matchups might be a little bit better. When there is such a wide range of positions and heights and you just do one giant 1-on-1 tournament, it can be tough, especially for the guards, like it was last year.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
Alignment with the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) in Training
The tournament’s format reflects principles from the Constraints-Led Approach, a coaching philosophy Plum referenced. She explained,
“That’s a great point. I think definitely, there’s restraints on it. The shot clock, there’s a level of physicality that’s allowed that in traditional basketball maybe wouldn’t be, there’s people you can pass to on the sides, so it’s very interesting. I think it’s gonna be fun. I’ve never done it before, so I’m excited. It’s something that engages the fans and grows the game, so I’m up for anything that does that.”
– Kelsey Plum, WNBA Player
Impact of Unrivaled and the 1-on-1 Format on the Sport
Stewart highlighted how the innovative formats like 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 promote confidence and expose different styles of play for future generations.
“When you do something new or 1-on-1, it puts you in a vulnerable state automatically and forces you to walk the walk and have that confidence. But it’s also a way for the next generation to see how we’re playing. While you see traditional 5-on-5, you now see 3-on-3 in Unrivaled and 1-on-1, so there’s many ways to play the sport. You have to find the one you love the best.”
– Breanna Stewart, Co-Founder
This tournament not only provides a substantial competitive platform but also helps grow the WNBA and basketball culture by offering a fresh format to showcase individual skill under high pressure. As players like Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart embrace this new chapter, the event’s increasing popularity signals a promising future for innovative basketball experiences.
