Unrivaled: Who Will Take Home The MVP?

The Top Three

Paige Bueckers has set the scoring pace in Unrivaled, and she has done it without wasting possessions. Playing for the No. 4-seeded Breeze, she is averaging 24.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field in 20.5 minutes per game. She has controlled games in every way, whether she is hunting her own shot or creating clean looks for teammates.

Even when her scoring dips, her impact stays loud. She has only three games under 20 points, and her lowest came Jan. 11 against Rose when she scored 15. Still, she balanced it with 10 assists, which showed her feel never fades, even on a quieter shooting night.

Right behind her is reigning champion Chelsea Gray, who keeps doing Chelsea Gray things. Gray ranks second in the league at 24.3 points per game, and she adds 5.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 50.5 percent. She sits just 0.2 points behind Bueckers, so she is one big night away from reclaiming the top spot.

Consequently, Gray has Rose in the mix again, even if they sit in the No. 5 seed and still have plenty to prove. Still, with Gray’s mentality and shot-making, the ceiling stays high. She has posted four games of 34-plus points, and she has looked like the most dangerous scorer in the league. She is shooting better than 60 percent from the field, and she has missed only one free throw all season, which is another reminder she is a force to be reckoned with.

Then there is Kelsey Plum, who has the Phantom near the top and already in the playoff field. Plum is averaging 21.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field in just 18.5 minutes per game. That kind of production in that little time is rare. She has also hit the 30-point mark twice, and her loudest night came Jan. 10 when she exploded for 38 points and 11 assists for a 30-point double-double.

All three are stuffing the box score and swinging games in different ways. Now the MVP race comes down to one question: do you reward the scoring leader, the reigning champ’s takeover streak, or the engine driving one of the league’s best teams?