The upcoming Unrivaled 1 on 1 Tournament will feature a split prize pool. But just who will be crowned the first-ever 1-on-1 champion?
Unrivaled has been a massive hit among the women’s basketball world, and it’s about to get even more exciting. In its inaugural season, Unrivaled will feature a 1-on-1 style tournament. This is a first of it’s kind, and I’m here for it. We are about to witness who’s the best player on both sides of the ball.
Providing a mid-season beak for the players, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier aimed for a queen-of-the-court type event.
“This is where we’re going to be able to showcase our skills in a number of ways, said Stewart on media day. I’m really excited about it. Excited obviously—the prize for the champion, but also making money for your teammates.”
With a total prize pool worth $350,000, the tournament will feature 30 players grouped into four pods. The best part about this all? There’s monetary incentive and bragging rights on the line. While winner-takes-all is always a nice gesture, I’m most excited about the prize pool split.
The winner will receive $200,000, and there’s a bonus. In addition, each winner of the crowned will receive $10,000 each. Second place will earn $50,000, and semi-finalists will receive $25,000. Given the lowest salary in the WNBA is $59,180, this is everything. Designed to be competitive among the participants, there’s a pool of cash waiting to award the winners.
There’s a twist to this. Presented by Sprite, the tournament will feature a fan vote, which I will discuss later in this article. That includes key dates ahead of the tournament.
The prize pot is hefty
While every participant could use the reward, this could be intriguing for players such as Kate Martin, who is set to make $68,595 in 2025.
Headlined by Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Breanna Stewart, the average 2024 WNBA salary of all 30 players, according to Spotrac, is 4.8 million. That’s an average salary of just north of $160,000. A unique opportunity can be life-changing for these women. In fact, in 2024, nine of the 30 participants made under $100,000. That alone shows how there needs to be fair and equal pay in women’s sports.
The top annual WNBA salary in 2024 was $241,984. Let that soak in for just a minute.
Unrivaled single-handedly proves just a snippet of what these women deserve. That goes beyond money; it includes proper facilities.
Noticeably absent is Angel Reese, Brittney Griner, Stefanie Dolson, Cameron Brink (Injured), Sabrina Ionescu, and Courtney Vandersloot from the one-on-one festivities. Below is a breakdown of the 30 participants provided by Unrivaled and their respective pods.
Pod A
Shakira Austin (Lunar Owls)
Rae Burrell (Vinyl)
Natasha Cloud (Phantom)
Chelsea Gray (Rose)
Jewell Loyd (Mist)
Azurá Stevens (Rose)
Alyssa Thomas (Laces)
8th Seed (BYE)
Pod B
Napheesa Collier (Lunar Owls)
Tiffany Hayes (Laces)
Rhyne Howard (Vinyl)
Lexie Hull (Rose)
Rickea Jackson (Mist)
Katie Lou Samuelson (Phantom)
Courtney Williams (Lunar Owls)
Jackie Young (Laces)
Pod C
Aliyah Boston (Vinyl)
Jordin Canada (Vinyl)
Kahleah Copper (Rose)
Aaliyah Edwards (Mist)
Allisha Gray (Lunar Owls)
Marina Mabrey (Phantom)
Kate Martin (Laces)
Breanna Stewart (Mist)
Pod D
DiJonai Carrington (Mist)
Skylar Diggins- Smith (Lunar Owls)
Dearica Hamby (Vinyl)
Kayla McBride (Laces)
Arike Ogunbowale (Vinyl)
Satou Sabally (Phantom)
Brittney Sykes (Rose)
8th Seed (BYE)
What Are the 1-on-1 Tournament Rules?
Starting on February 1, the tournament will feature single elimination 1st round, 2nd round, Quarterfinals, and Semi-finals. There are no second or third chances—it’s a cutthroat one and done. The Finals will include a best-of-three series, including a winning score of 11.
Considering this is a 1-on-1 type tournament, the pace is extremely fast and intense. With that said, Unrivaled has the games set to a winning score of 11 points or 10 total minutes in length.
There’s more to the unique event. The tournament will feature a 7-second shot clock. Per Unrivaled, the following rules are added to the format.
If a player makes their shot, they get the next possession (make-it, take-it).
There will be traditional scoring rules, a two (2)-point shot still counts for two (2) points, and a three (3)-point shot counts for three (3) points.
You may be wondering why POD A and POD D both have a first-round BYE. Per the league, the teams have been split to distribute talent. Not to mention popcorn-worthy matchups.
There are Fan Votes this season
For the inaugural 1-on-1 tournament, this year will feature fan votes. What does this mean? This means votes will be a deciding factor in the seedings. This states that fans will vote for players 1-8, which will determine the matchups from there.
It’s a traditional playoff seed format. Meaning No. 1 will face No. 8 and so forth. Fans have until January 30 to February 2 to vote for the seeding.
How Can I watch Unrivaled?
Unrivaled will continue to air season long on TNT, truTV, and Max. Available internationally, the league streams on TNS+ in Canada and YouTube Live Internationally. By doing so, this increases the growth and visibility of the league.
The tournament will run from February 10 through February 11, with the first round taking place on February 10. Set to air on tru TV (2-4 p.m. ET) and TNT (7-9 p.m. ET), all games will continue to be televised.
It’s important to note the second round, and Quarterfinals will take place on February 11. 12 single elimination games will be featured on truTV from 7-10 p.m. ET.
Set to take place on Valentines Day, the Finals will air on TNT and truTV from 7:30- 9 p.m. ET.
If fans wish to purchase tickets, pre-sale will begin on January 29 to Unrivaled newsletter subscribers. Tickets to the public will officially go on sale on January 30.
Stay tuned for more WNBA and Unrivaled related articles. Click here
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the Women’s Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut
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