Sky Fans' Way-Too-Early Guide to Unrivaled

Lunar Owls: Rebecca Allen, Rachel Banham

While Sky fans will have plenty of teams to choose from to cheer on players new and old, the Lunar Owls will feature the most 2025 Sky players of any Unrivaled squad.

The duo of Rachel Banham and Rebecca Allen joined forces on last season's Sky roster, where they both earned a share in the rotation of a Chicago squad that continued its descent in the WNBA standings. Banham, who joined the team in a 2024 trade, would earn a full-time starting role by late June. She would average just over 10 points and three assists per game as a starter. Allen would split time in the starting five and off the bench during her first season with the Sky, where she would average just over five points and one assist per contest.

The two will be joined by Collier, forward Aaliyah Edwards, guard Skylar Diggins and guard Marina Mabrey. Mabrey, who joined the Sky in a massive 2023 trade, started for a Connecticut Sun squad that began a flash rebuild after losing all five starters from the year before. Edwards, who would team up with Mabrey later last season, played off the bench for the Mist in their inaugural season. Diggins had an extraordinary year of her own with the Lunar Owls, enough to join Reese on the All-Unrivaled Second Team.

Last year's Rose squad was powered by plenty of Sky magic as the duo of Kahleah Copper and Azura Stevens paired with Reese on the inaugural champions. Atkins, who joined the Sky in a February trade, took the floor in four games for the Rose and one for the Laces. Reese averaged a double-double in the 14 games she played in, which was highlighted by a monster performance in the Lunar Owls' only loss of the regular season.

Development Pool: Hailey Van Lith

Sky guard Hailey Van Lith will join five other young players as part of the league's new development pool. The former TCU guard and Reese's LSU teammate played in limited minutes for the Sky last season, but would ultimately see time in 29 games. Van Lith is no stranger to playing in a 3-on-3 format. She has represented the United States in numerous Olympic and FIBA tournaments, including the 2024 Paris Olympics squad that secured a bronze medal and the 2023 FIBA World Cup roster that won gold with a victory over France.

What Should I Know About Every Lunar Owls Opponent?

Breeze BC

Notable Sky Names: None

2025 record: N/A

The Breeze opted to rely on youthful talent in their first season. Five players have two years of WNBA experience or less, including the rookie duo of Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga. Guard Aari McDonald, a five-year WNBA veteran on three different squads, leads the team in WNBA experience.

Sophomore forward Rickea Jackson played alongside Stewart and Edwards on the Mist last season, while guard Kate Martin logged minutes with the Laces. Former Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn will be one of the league's newest head coaches after spending five seasons as the lead coach of the Storm.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 24, Feb. 17

Hive BC

Notable Sky Names: Rena Wakama (Head Coach)

2025 record: N/A

The Hive, the second of the newest squads in Unrivaled, will feature two notable rookies in guards Sonia Citron and Saniya Rivers. Citron, who earned All-Rookie honors and an All-Star selection with the Mystics, averaged just under 15 points while hitting a scorching-hot 44.5% of her shots from the 3-point line.

Rena Wakama will take on head coaching duties after working as an assistant on Sky coach Tyler Marsh's staff. The team will only feature one Unrivaled veteran in guard Natisha Hiedeman, who suited up for a handful of teams last season.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 26, Feb. 27

Laces BC

Notable Sky Names: None

2025 record: 7-7, 3rd in Unrivaled Standings

Two All-WNBA selections in Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young will headline a Laces team that split their 14 regular-season games last season.

Guard Brittney Sykes, a league champion with the Rose, will join a veteran-filled squad led by second-year head coach Andrew Wade. Forward Maddy Siegrist is the only player without Unrivaled experience, but earned 27 minutes per game with the Dallas Wings last season. Thomas led last season's Laces squad in rebounds and assists per game with 11.5 and 4.5, respectively.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 12, Feb. 6

Mist BC

Notable Sky Names: Alanna Smith, Li Yueru

2025 record: 5-9, 5th in Unrivaled Standings

Stewart and four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale will highlight a Mist squad in need of a spark following an underwhelming 2025 campaign. The Mist may get a scoring boost from guard Allisha Gray, who averaged just over 19 points per game alongside Collier on the Lunar Owls last season. While they never crossed paths in Chicago, Alanna Smith and Li Yueru both for the Sky in the tail end of the James Wade era.

Smith has since carried her defensive excellence into two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, while Li earned 12 starts for the Wings during their 2025 campaign. Guard Veronica Burton, once a defensive standout for the Northwestern Wildcats, will round out the roster after winning the WNBA's Most Improved Player award with the Golden State Valkyries.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 17, Feb. 21

Phantom BC

Notable Sky Names: Dana Evans

2025 record: 4-10, 6th in Unrivaled Standings

The Phantom will run it back with Satou Sabally and Natasha Cloud following a season that saw them slated in last place in the Unrivaled standings. The trio of Kiki Iriafen, Kelsey Plum and Dana Evans will make up the team's first-timers alongside first-year head coach Roneeka Hodges. Evans, who played as a reserve guard for the Sky following a 2021 trade with the Wings, took up the same role with the Las Vegas Aces after she was shipped off for two second-rounders last February.

Hodges will earn her first shot as a full-time head coach after stints as an assistant with the New York Liberty, Colgate and Old Dominion. She was most recently welcomed onto Rachid Meziane's staff with the Sun, where she coached a roster with Mabrey, Edwards, and Rivers as the Sun underwent a short-notice rebuild of their own.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 10, Feb. 1

Rose BC

Notable Sky Names: Kahleah Copper, Azurá Stevens

2025 record: 8-6, 2nd in Unrivaled Standings

The league champions miraculously kept four of their players from last season. Austin and an Unrivaled newbie in guard Sug Sutton will round out an already-strong roster with a chip on their shoulder and under their belt. Copper, a champion and multiple-time All-Star with the Sky, will join an All-Unrivaled First-Teamer in guard Chelsea Gray, who proved to be invaluable in the Rose's climb back into playoff contention. Henry will return for a second year after her most recent assistant stint with the Wings.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 5, Jan. 30

Vinyl BC

Notable Sky Names: Courtney Williams, Teresa Weatherspoon (Head Coach)

2025 record: 5-9, 4th in Unrivaled Standings

Last year's runners-up will be headlined by three returning players in Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell. Brittney Griner, Courtney Williams and Erica Wheeler will round out the roster. Williams played alongside Smith on a hastily assembled transitional Chicago squad that secured the Sky's fifth-straight playoff appearance despite an exodus of champions and James Wade departing for an assistant job with the NBA's Toronto Raptors midway through the season. Former Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon will return to the roster after taking up a head coaching role with Chicago in 2024.

Matchup Dates: Jan. 19, Feb. 23

Where Can I Watch Unrivaled?

Unrivaled games will be broadcast on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. Games played on Fridays and Mondays will be shown on all three networks, while Saturday and Sunday matchups will be aired on truTV and HBO Max.