Unrivaled's one-on-one tournament kicks off Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET. 32 of the best players will compete for the $200,000 grand prize, with the winner crowned after the final on Saturday, February 14. There has been talk surrounding this event since before the Unrivaled season ever officially started.
The league opened voting for fans to help decide what the bracket looked like. All 32 participating players were split into four position-based pods, and fans ranked the players 1 to 8 in each group. The votes were tallied to determine seeding, and the official bracket was released. It is full of intriguing matchups you won't want to miss. Some favorites are facing challenges in the first round, while others should have an easier time advancing. With that said, let's rank our 10 biggest favorites heading into the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament.
10. Shakira Austin
Shakira Austin has really stepped up her game at Unrivaled these last few games, just in time for the 1-on-1 tournament. She had a massive 31-point performance, paired with 11 rebounds, to close out January. She's averaging 20.6 points per game in February, and has seemingly found her footing on the Unrivaled court. She is starting the tournament against a tough opponent in Dearica Hamby, so she will need to use her height wisely. If she makes it to the second round, she would be facing another big in either Aaliyah Edwards or Dom Malonga. Her recent success has included elite rebounding — she will need it against any of these opponents.
9. Rhyne Howard
Rhyne Howard is an elite player who should do well in this tournament, but will face a challenging opponent in the first round. She will compete against her Vinyl teammate, Rae Burrell, who has been playing well in the last few weeks. Howard might have to rely on her dominant three-point shooting, but that's nothing new for her. She's coming off a 4-of-8 three-point shooting night. She'll also have to play great defense against Burrell, who is dominant in the paint.
8. Aliyah Boston
A key theme for this tournament will be stamina. It will be crucial for players to keep the energy up as they go round-for-round with the league's best. With Aliyah Boston paired up with Alyssa Thomas in the first round — in what could be the most physical matchup of the entire tournament — it'll be up to Boston to maintain momentum if she goes to the second round. That could be what keeps her as a favorite through the tournament. Boston is a force in the paint and is averaging 19.9 points per game this season.
7. Allisha Gray
Allisha Gray is a player who can rely on her three-point shooting if she gets hot. She is averaging 2.3 threes and 20.0 points per game. She recently hit a lull, shooting only 13 percent from the floor over two of the Mist's latest games. Gray bounced back last night against Rose BC, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor, including 3 threes. If she can channel that energy during the tournament, she could pull it off. She is facing off against Saniya Rivers in the first round, who can sometimes surprise us with her defensive abilities.
6. Kelsey Plum
Plum has been one of the best three-point shooters at Unrivaled this season, averaging 2.6 per game. It is a guarantee that through the first two rounds, she will be paired against a guard that she is shooting better than this season. Although she can't rely solely on that, especially if she faces Skylar Diggins in the second round, who can turn it on at any moment. But Plum has been elite in other areas this season, which I think makes her a favorite for this tournament. Just last night, Plum put up 30 points, including a crafty game-winning lay-up, that had Rae Burrell spinning.
5. Breanna Stewart
I have a feeling Stewie is coming into this one with something to prove, after being knocked out by Aaliyah Edwards in the first round last year, without having scored once. She might play a little more aggressively this year, and by the way she's been playing so far, she should be feeling pretty good. On the season, she's averaging 19.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She is a No. 1 seed and should be the clear favorite for the first couple of rounds.
4. Marina Mabrey
Mabrey is leading the league in points with 26.8 per game and threes with 3.8 per game. Depending on how she chooses to approach this tournament, I could see Marina Mabrey launching it every chance she gets, just because she knows she can. I think that's what makes her a favorite to win it all. Facing Sonia Citron could be a challenge, and there's a possibility she sees Rhyne Howard in the second round. Both opponents would force Mabrey to pull out all of her stops, but I think her defense can be underrated at times.
3. Paige Bueckers
Bueckers is a fan favorite for this tournament, not only because she is one of the most efficient players in the pool, but also because she could very well be the most entertaining. We all know Paige Bueckers as a selfless teammate who is always looking to give her people chances. She leads the league in assists with 6.7 per game — but that won't help her here. I can't wait to see Bueckers use more of her craftiness to get her own buckets. She's stepped it up on defense over the past few months, and that will need to be on full display, as well. Bueckers is a certified bucket-getter who can seemingly shoot from anywhere, making her one of the top-tier favorites for this tourney.
2. Chelsea Gray
Gray has been one of the most exciting players to watch at Unrivaled all season. She is second in the league in points per game, averaging 25.1, and we all know she's an elite three-point shooter, draining 3.2 per game. I'd hate to be her opponent when it's all on the line because the basket just seems to get bigger and bigger for her once she gets hot. She is facing Natasha Cloud in the first round, who is speedy and can lock down on defense at times. As long as Gray's shooting is efficient, she should remain a favorite for the first few rounds of the tournament.
1. Aaliyah Edwards
Aaliyah Edwards is the only player in this pool who knows what it takes to get through this entire tournament and make it to the final. She absolutely stepped out in the one-on-one last year, defeating elite competitors like Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, and Arike Ogunbowale before falling to Napheesa Collier in the final. Without Phee in her way, I think Edwards sees the light at the end, in the form of $200,000. She has been dominant all season, averaging 22.3 points per game and a league-leading 13.6 rebounds per game. Unrivaled is seemingly where she thrives, and fans should be excited to see how she attacks this tournament.