Sky Stars Reunite for Unrivaled Season

Two new rosters joined the fold as the league expanded to 48 players and eight total teams, each featuring a number of recognizable names from across the WNBA. While plenty of teams opted to lean on WNBA veterans, the Breeze, one of its newer squads, chose to jumpstart a youth movement with two star WNBA rookies and three stellar sophomores. The Rose, who won the league's first championship behind the efforts of a few WNBA champions, added Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton to their talented roster.

Who will compete by Banham and Allen's side during their first run in the 3-on-3 league?

Napheesa Collier

Collier, Unrivaled's inaugural MVP and one of its founders, could seemingly do no wrong during the league's first season. The Minnesota Lynx star thrived as a leader for the Lunar Owls after finishing among the league's best in nearly every category. She defeated then-Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards to claim its first 1-on-1 title, which only added to the recognition she deserved during her memorable first run. A valiant 36-point effort wouldn't save the Lunar Owls from an upset by the Vinyl in the playoffs, but she still carved out her place as a superstar in the 3-on-3 league.

The former UConn standout will no doubt be a home-run pairing with Allen and Banham should she even come close to her monster run from Year 1. She played in four games against the Sky last season, where she nearly averaged 24 points per contest as she hit her jumpers with ease and came up strong inside.

Skylar Diggins

Diggins, the second holdover from last season, established herself as one of the league's premier guards in a defining season of her own for the Lunar Owls. She earned a spot on the All-Unrivaled Second Team after averaging about 18 points and just under five assists per game in 14 matchups. The seven-time WNBA All-Star logged a 25-point double-double as the Lunar Owls started to round out their regular-season run with a victory over the Phantom. She played and started in 43 games for the Seattle Storm last season, where she averaged 15.5 points and six assists per game as she notched another All-Star selection.

Diggins made three appearances against the Sky last season, where she averaged 19 points and five assists per game. She proved to be a lead guard in an August win over Chicago, where she notched 24 points and six assists in Angel Reese's return from injury. She can be a fantastic fit alongside Allen and Banham if she can continue to take point with the Lunar Owls.

Aaliyah Edwards

Edwards played in a reserve role for the Mist last season, where she averaged 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. The former UConn forward was efficient in her limited time on the floor, including when she only one of her nine shots while garnering a season-high 16 points against the Vinyl. She notched a double-double in a victory over the Rose, where she held her own against Reese and battled down low on defense. Edwards split time with the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun last season, where she would end the year with 36 appearances, including 15 alongside former Sky guard Marina Mabrey.

Edwards played in six total games against the Sky last year between her time with the Mystics and the Sun. She scored eight points against Chicago as she got hot early in a close July victory. She added three boards, including one on offense, as she continued to fight hard against the Sky's bigs.

Marina Mabrey

A familiar face for the Sky will play in her second season in Miami. She played in three games for the Phantom last season, where she averaged about 15 points and three assists per game. Mabrey suited up for the Sky in 63 games after being added through a four-team trade in 2023, but was shipped out in favor of Banham, guard Moriah Jefferson and a handful of draft picks one year later.

Mabrey logged 20 or more points twice against the Sky last season, including in an August victory at Wintrust Arena. She made her living off the ball with plenty of movement, which led to a few tough jumpers and easy layups. She added eight assists in the road win as she hit a number of routine passes to center Tina Charles and guard Saniya Rivers.