4 most shocking stats from the Unrivaled season so far

Unrivaled has used the overwhelming excitement from last season to reach new heights this year. The league went from 36 players and 6 teams, to 48 players and 8 teams — but that's not where the growth stopped. Each night of Unrivaled so far this season has delivered. The players seem to be truly enjoying themselves, and it's translating directly into their game.

Over halfway into the season, the players have set new records in almost every statistical category. And it's not only the players peaking, but also the league itself. Let's take a look at four of the most surprising and exciting stats from Unrivaled this season.

1. Marina Mabrey's unreal Philly performance

During Unrivaled's trip to Philadelphia, Marina Mabrey took the opportunity to prove to everyone that she is exactly who she thinks she is. It's no secret that the Lunar Owls have had a flawed season — and it's become apparent that the players are tired of losing, especially Mabrey. In Philly, in an 85-75 victory over the Rose, Mabrey set an Unrivaled single-game record with 47 points. The records don't stop there. She set a record with 18 FGM, including a whopping 10 threes, which is also a new record.

Everyone knew we were in for a heater when Mabrey scored 27 points in the first quarter — yet another Unrivaled record — while only being on the court for five of the seven minutes. While most new WNBA fans know Mabrey as "the crashout queen," they just learned her bag is as deep as it gets.

2. Aaliyah Edwards' game thrives at Unrivaled

When you compare Aaliyah Edwards' WNBA stats next to her Unrivaled numbers, you'd think she was an entirely different player. The Washington Mystics traded Edwards to the Connecticut Sun mid WNBA season, but she finished the overall year averaging only 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

At Unrivaled, Edwards leads the league in rebounds per game, averaging 13.0. She also sits at No. 5 in the league with an average of 21.4 points per game. In early January, against Laces BC, Edwards put up 38 points and 13 rebounds. She shot 84 percent from the field in that matchup. Now there's a deeper conversation to be had about whether her game translates better in the Unrivaled environment, playing a 3-on-3 style, or if she's not getting enough opportunities in the WNBA. Either way, she's been a surprising joy to watch over the last few weeks at Unrivaled.

3. Paige Bueckers' efficiency

We all know Paige Bueckers is elite. While it should be praised, her success at Unrivaled really shouldn't surprise anyone. She has come into the league and proven not only that she can shoot from anywhere in any way, but also how good and efficient a teammate she is.

Bueckers leads the league in average assists with 6.9 per game, and just set a new record. In Breeze BC's dominant 81-56 victory over Rose BC, Bueckers became the first Unrivaled player to record 11 assists while having 0 turnovers in a game. On the court, Bueckers is consistently finding her teammates' open looks, while praising and hyping them up off the court.

4. Unrivaled's big night in Philadelphia

I, like a lot of people, was excited to see how Unrivaled would keep the hype from their inaugural season going. When they announced they'd be travelling to Philly for a night, it was unclear just how much of a massive success this would be. With 21,490 people showing up, Unrivaled smashed the record for the largest crowd at any regular-season professional women's basketball game in history.

They also set a new all-time attendance record at Xfinity Mobile Arena, home of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, for any event — including men's or women's basketball, and concerts. Many celebrities and big names were in attendance, like Wanda Sykes, Leslie Jones, Dawn Staley, Robin Roberts, and Jason and Kylie Kelce.

When asked about the incredible achievement, Unrivaled co-founder, Napheesa Collier, said, "It's just a testament to what we're building here, how much people believe in it. So to have the city show out like this, to break a record in all of women's professional basketball here tonight, and for it to be Unrivaled, I think it's just amazing. The future's Unrivaled." Paige Bueckers gave her thoughts after her 23-point performance in Philly, "The women before us paved the way, and now we're finally getting the recognition, media coverage, accessibility on TV. We're playing in an NBA arena and sold out."