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Unrivaled team rankings: way-too-early projections

Unrivaled team rankings: way-too-early projections

We’re less than a month away from Unrivaled’s tip-off in Miami, and it’s time to take a look at how the league’s six clubs stack up.

Unrivaled, the full-court, 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart last year, begins its second season on Jan. 5. The league features 22 new WNBA players, as well as 26 returners from Year 1. Several top performers from the inaugural season, like Angel Reese, Kayla McBride, and Sabrina Ionescu, won’t be suiting up this year.

Last year, the Rose Club won the championship, led by Chelsea Gra and Kahleah Copper. During the regular season, the Lunar Owls — led by Napheesa Collier and Skylar Diggins — were the league’s best team.

It’s way too early, and it’s almost impossible to know each of the newly assembled clubs will mesh, but here’s my prediction for how the eight clubs will fare.

Projected Unrivaled club rankings

  1. Chelsea Gray
  2. Kahleah Copper
  3. Azurá Stevens
  4. Lexie Hull
  5. Shakira Austin
  6. Sug Sutton

Chelsea Gray is fresh off a title run with the Las Vegas Aces, and was one of the Unrivaled’s best players last season. Azurá Stevens and Shakira Austin both had their best seasons yet. And, Kahleah Copper missed most of the previous Unrivaled season, but was an elite scorer when available. Albeit not exactly last year’s squad (Angel Reese is a big loss), the Rose Club won it all last year, and begin this season as my favorite to do it again.

  1. Napheesa Collier
  2. Skylar Diggins
  3. Marina Mabrey
  4. Aaliyah Edwards
  5. Rachel Banham
  6. Rebecca Allen

The Lunar Owls were the best team in the league last season, and Napheesa Collier is almost definitely the best player in Unrivaled. Last year, she averaged a league-best 25.7 points alongside 10.6 rebounds, and the Owls went 13-1 during the regular season. Skylar Diggins also established herself as one of the Unrivaled’s best guards last season, averaging 17.9 points and 4.8 assists per game. And, Aaliyah Edwards surged last year in Unrivaled, finishing as the runner-up in the league’s 1-on-1 tournament. Marina Mabrey missed most of the season with a calf strain, but should be due for a bounce-back year.

  1. Jackie Young
  2. Brittney Sykes
  3. Alyssa Thomas
  4. Jordin Canada
  5. Maddy Siegrist
  6. Naz Hillmon

The Laces have some of the best individual defenders in the game in Jackie Young, Brittney Sykes, Alyssa Thomas, and Jordin Canada. Naz Hillmon was instrumental as a reserve player in the Rose’s title run, and Maddy Siegrist could provide great floor spacing. This fall, Young continued to establish herself as one of the best two-way players in the league en route to the Aces’ third WNBA championship in four seasons. This team could struggle with shooting, so Siegrist’s ability to knock down the open three will be critical.

  1. Kelsey Plum
  2. Satou Sabally
  3. Aliyah Boston
  4. Dana Evans
  5. Natasha Cloud
  6. Kiki Iriafen

Kelsey Plum didn’t play in Unrivaled last year, but as an elite three-level scorer, her game should translate well. This team is well-rounded; Aliyah Boston and Kiki Iriafen are two of the best young bigs in the league, while Natasha Cloud should be a good backcourt mate for Plum, as well as someone who can handle tough defensive assignments.

  1. Paige Bueckers
  2. Rickea Jackson
  3. Dominique Malonga
  4. Aari McDonald
  5. Kate Martin
  6. Cameron Brink

The Breeze is one of the youngest clubs in the league, and that should suit them well when playing this fast-paced game. Aari McDonald is their only player not drafted in the last two seasons, but several players should be on the cusp of breakout seasons. Dominique Malonga’s game should translate well here, and Paige Bueckers seems like an ideal 3-on-3 player. Cameron Brink has substantial 3-on-3 experience, albeit in the halfcourt, but should nonetheless bring defensive versatility.

  1. Kelsey Mitchell
  2. Sonia Citron
  3. Ezi Magbegor
  4. Natisha Hiedeman
  5. Saniya Rivers
  6. Monique Billings

Kelsey Mitchell is coming off the best season of her career, and like Kelsey Plum, is someone whose game should immediately adjust to Unrivaled. Her and Sonia Citron should form an elite backcourt that can push the pace and shoot the ball well. Natisha Hiedeman wasn’t officially on an Unrivaled club, but bounced around the league as an injury replacement player and is always good for a burst of scoring.

  1. Allisha Gray
  2. Breanna Stewart
  3. Alanna Smith
  4. Veronica Burton
  5. Arike Ogunbowale
  6. Li Yueru

It’s difficult to rank the Mist so low considering all the talent on this squad; Allisha Gray is fresh off a First Team All-WNBA season, Breanna Stewart had another big year for the New York Liberty, Alanna Smith was co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Veronica Burton surged onto the scene as an elite point guard for the golden State Valkyries (and the WNBA’s Most Improved Player). But spacing could be a problem for this Mist team, particularly if Stewart’s shooting struggles continue (she shot 24.1% from downtown last year on the Liberty).

  1. Courtney Williams
  2. Rhyne Howard
  3. Dearica Hamby
  4. Erica Wheeler
  5. Rae Burrell
  6. Brittney Griner

Full disclaimer: It’s almost impossible to rank any team last with so many talented players on each roster. But, I’m going with the Vinyl because I do think this team heavily relies on a handful of players (Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby).

Predicting how these new combinations of players will fare so far in advance is kind of a crapshoot, but these are my best guesses. It’s also worth noting that availability/health status will be key; last year, several key players missed most, if not all, of the season. Who can stay out there remains to be seen. I wouldn’t be shocked if rankings ended up being completely backwards; after all, the league’s goal was to create teams that were as evenly-matched as possible. But here’s where I’m at after a first glance.

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Deadspin | Ryan Blaney wins Atlanta pole, leads Team Penske front-row sweep  Jun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images   HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).  Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying.  It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford.  The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane.  Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying.  NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February.  Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid.  “I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there.   “If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.”  The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two.  Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10.  The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones.  “The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying.  “I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it.  “But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.”  –By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweepJun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying.

It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford.

The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane.

Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying.

NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February.

Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid.


“I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there.

“If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.”

The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two.

Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10.

The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones.

“The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying.

“I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it.

“But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.”


–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweep">Deadspin | Ryan Blaney wins Atlanta pole, leads Team Penske front-row sweep  Jun 14, 2026; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) races during The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images   HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney claimed his second pole position of the season Saturday evening at Atlanta’s fast high-banked EchoPark Speedway — leading a Team Penske Ford front row sweep for Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).  Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford turned in a lap of 179.912 mph around the 1.5-mile track, besting his teammate Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford by a slight .016-second in Busch Light Pole Qualifying.  It’s the 32-year old Blaney’s 14th career pole and marks the first front-row Penske sweep this year. All three Penske’s advanced to Saturday’s 10-car second round after dominating the top of the speed charts in round one. Austin Cindric will roll off eighth in the No. 2 Penske Ford.  The typically low-key Blaney was thrilled for the result, crediting his team for the hard work. However, the 2023 series champion was quick to remind at a high-speed, drafting track such as Atlanta, he was confident starting up front doesn’t automatically translate into a trip to Victory Lane.  Toyota, which is enjoying a dominant season in wins, failed to place a single car into the final round of qualifying.  NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who trails Hamlin by 44 points in the standings, will start 31st in the No. 45 Toyota. A five-time race winner this year, Reddick won at Atlanta this February.  Gibbs drivers Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start 23rd and 32nd. And Reddick’s 23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst are 23rd and 29th on the grid.  “I feel like we’ve seen that,” Blaney said of the Toyotas qualifying effort. “They don’t really qualify great at these speedways, just the build of their race car. So usually that means they can probably be aggressive in the draft and get in the middle and get to the top and things like that. I’m sure we’re going to see them up there.   “If you look at the spring race here and Toyotas were really, really good when it came race time. Hopefully, our balance in the race is good enough to be able to either maintain the lead or if we get shuffled back to be able to go forward. You really don’t know that until the race starts.”  The Chevrolets of Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ) make up row two.  Daniel Suarez will start fifth with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets of Alex Bowman and defending race winner Chase Elliott, Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski owner-driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, rounding out the top 10.  The front row start is especially significant for the three-time series champion Logano, who is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his Hall of Fame-bound career. He’s still not in the top 16 field that will ultimately settle the title in the 10-race Chase. Logano’s ranked 18th, 16 points behind 16th-place Erik Jones.  “The good news is the Hunt Brothers Pizza Mustang is fast and that speed you see in qualifying will usually show up in the race,” said Logano, a two-time Atlanta winner. “I’m proud to see the speed that’s there and the handling seemed fine in qualifying.  “I feel like our team can handle these speedways really well and you can remember what happened here last Fall (he wrecked after leading laps and winning the pole position), so there’s no guarantee you see the end of it.  “But,” he added with a smile, “The speed’s there and that’s half the battle, so we know we have that.”  –By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Ryan #Blaney #wins #Atlanta #pole #leads #Team #Penske #frontrow #sweep

England’s run at the 1986 World Cup came to a dramatic end due to the “Hand of God” goal scored by Diego Maradona.

Could their run at the 2026 World Cup continue due to the “Cable of God?”

Norway took a 1-0 lead late in the first half during Saturday’s Quarterfinal match between the two teams, thanks to a thunderous strike from Andreas Schjelderup.

However, England pulled level moments later, on a lovely left-footed strike from Jude Bellingham:

But should the goal have even counted?

FOX Sports cameras spotted Norway coach Stale Solbakken chatting with referee Clement Turpin after the goal, and Norway striker Erling Haaland was frustrated as well:

Eventually, replay angles showed why. After a goal kick from keeper Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to strike one of the FIFA skycam cables, falling to the feet of England’s Anthony Gordon:

On the FOX Sports broadcast, former referee Mark Clattenburg noted that under FIFA rules, the play should have stopped, and a dropped-ball resulted.

A review did come later in the match, but that potential go-ahead goal was taken off the board after VAR noted a foul by Haaland before Norway’s corner kick:

The match remains tied at 1-1 deep into the second half, but no matter the result, expect that non-review to be part of the discussion.

Update: Following the match, FIFA shared this on social media:

#Englands #equalizer #Norway #counted">Why England’s equalizer against Norway should not have counted  England’s run at the 1986 World Cup came to a dramatic end due to the “Hand of God” goal scored by Diego Maradona.Could their run at the 2026 World Cup continue due to the “Cable of God?”Norway took a 1-0 lead late in the first half during Saturday’s Quarterfinal match between the two teams, thanks to a thunderous strike from Andreas Schjelderup.However, England pulled level moments later, on a lovely left-footed strike from Jude Bellingham:But should the goal have even counted?FOX Sports cameras spotted Norway coach Stale Solbakken chatting with referee Clement Turpin after the goal, and Norway striker Erling Haaland was frustrated as well:Eventually, replay angles showed why. After a goal kick from keeper Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to strike one of the FIFA skycam cables, falling to the feet of England’s Anthony Gordon:On the FOX Sports broadcast, former referee Mark Clattenburg noted that under FIFA rules, the play should have stopped, and a dropped-ball resulted.A review did come later in the match, but that potential go-ahead goal was taken off the board after VAR noted a foul by Haaland before Norway’s corner kick:The match remains tied at 1-1 deep into the second half, but no matter the result, expect that non-review to be part of the discussion.Update: Following the match, FIFA shared this on social media:  #Englands #equalizer #Norway #counted

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