By; Betty Cantley
MIAMI, FL. – Season 2 of Unrivaled Basketball officially tipped off Monday, January 5, 2026, at the Sephora Arena. The day was defined by the debut of the league’s expansion teams and the arrival of Paige Bueckers, who led her team (Breeze BC) to a thrilling primetime victory.
Here are the highlights and results from the four-game opening slate:
1. Opening Day Results and game score key takeaways:
• Mist BC vs Hives BC 72-56, Breanna
Stewart’s squad spoils the debut of
The expansion “Hive.”
• Vinyl BC vs Laces BC 42-58, Alyssa
Thomas and the Laces were defen-
sively hot.
• Lunar Owls BC vs Rose BC 60-80. The
Defending Champions dominate in a
Season 1 Finals rematch. Before the
start of the game, the Roses pendant
was raised in the rafters.
• Phantom BC vs Breeze BC 62-69,
Paige Bueckers shines in her pro-
professional 3×3 debut victory. Bueckers
looked ideally suited for the 3×3
format, showcasing her elite mid-
range game playing and led the
Breeze with 24 points.
• The opposition’s Kelsey Plum kept the
Phantom with 28 points, but the Breeze
Length ultimately overwhelmed them
in the untimed fourth quarter.
2. The champs make a statement with
their win. The reigning champions, Rose BC, showed no signs of a “sophomore slump.”
• Chelsea Gray, Season 1 MVP picked
upright where she left off,
orchestrating the offense with 12
assists.
• Co-founder Napheesa Collier’s absence
was felt as the Lunar Owls struggled
to find a consistent rhythm without
her. Collier is missing this season due to
to her double-double ankle surgery.
3. The Hive BC debut was a tough introduction to the league’s intensity.
• Breanna Stewart (Mist BC) finished
with a double-double (22 pts, 11 rebs)
and controlled the glass against Hive’s
smaller lineup.
• Hives spark with Kelsey Mitchell pro-
video the bulk of their offense, but
the team struggled with the physicality of
the Mists veterans.
4. Defensive master class (Laces BC 58 vs Vinyl BC 42) was the lowest-scoring game of the day. Laces BC utilized a “suffocating” defense to shut down Vinyl BC.
• Their “Engine” Alyssa Thomas played
nearly every minute, recording a nest
triple-double and holding Vinyls star
Rhyne Howard to just 12 points on
4-of-15 shutdown.
The next set of games begins on Friday, January 9, at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The first “blockbuster” weekend kicks off
Off with a huge rematch between last year’s finalists, Vinyl Bvs.vs Rose BC.
Additionally, the two expansion teams meet for the first time, BC vs. Hive BC, at 8:45 PM ET on TNT.