In the Unrivaled opening day, the Breeze earned a 69-62 victory over the Phantoms.
The Breeze feature Cameron Brink and Paige Bueckers, who teamed up this season. Brink, a Los Angeles Sparks standout, was selected to the Lunar Owls last season, while Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings.
In her Unrivaled debut, Bueckers led all scorers with 24 points to go with five rebounds, six assists and two blocks while shooting 7-of-15 from the field. Brink added four points and six rebounds off the bench.
Rickea Jackson finished with 16 points and five rebounds, while Dominique Malonga added 15 points and 154 rebounds for the Breeze.
Fans hyped up Bueckers, Brink and the Breeze for opening the season with a perfect 1-0 start.
Aliyah Boston powered the Phantoms with 18 points, three assists and seven rebounds, while Kelsey Plum added 12 points and five rebounds. Their efforts, however, were not enough in the season-opening loss.
The Breeze built a 41-29 halftime lead, capped by a basket from Jackson.
After three quarters, the target score was set at 68 with the Breeze ahead 57-51. The Breeze closed it out by holding the Phantoms at 62 points, while Jackson sealed the win with a two-point free throw to reach the target score.
The Breeze will hit the road Friday to face Natisha Hiedeman, Kelsey Mitchell and the Hive.