Unrivaled: Can Citron find her stroke and lead Hive to their first win?

Hive has not come into the club’s inaugural Unrivaled season buzzing.

The expansion club has begun the season 0-3, and with a Friday night date with defending champion and undefeated Rose up next (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/trutTV), Hive will have a hard time avoiding an 0-4 start to their debut campaign

Expected to be a potentially dynamic offensive team, Hive instead has been Unrivaled’s least potent offensive unit, shooting a league-worst 42.6 percent from the field and scoring a league-low 61.3 points per game.

Those numbers reflect how the anticipated offensive connection between Sonia Citron and Kelsey Mitchell has yet to materialize. After shooting 44.5 percent from 3 during her WNBA rookie season, Citron has been ice cold from behind the arc in Miami, going 1-for-13, or 7.7 percent, from 3 through three games. Mitchell also is shooting poorly from 3, going 1-for-10 so far. She’s has found more success attacking in isolation, as she’s finishing almost 60 percent of her 2-pointers.

Yet, while Mitchell can cook off the dribble, that style of play has not been conducive to facilitating a more cohesive offensive attack. That neither she or Citron are above-average playmakers for others has emerged as a problem. Reserve guards Natisha Hiedeman and Saniya Rivers likewise are better at driving for their own shot, rather than creating for others. So maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that Hive is averaging a league-low eight assists per game; they’re also assisting on less than one-third of their shots, which is by far the league’s lowest assist rate.

As such, Hive has not maximized Ezi Magbegor’s potential as a roller or popper in two-woman actions. Monique Billings’ hustle-first offensive stylings, whether via offensive boards or grabbing and going in transition, might be Hive’s surest source of offense. While a credit to Billings, that she is tied with Citron as the club’s leading scorer is not a good sign.

Nevertheless, taking a cue from Billings and turning defense into offense looks like Hive’s best strategy for success. They lead the league in blocks and rank third in steals. Rivers has captained Hive’s defensive playmaking, compiling 13 total stocks as she has rejected a league-leading eight shots and secured five swipes. Citron has contributed four steals and three blocks, with Mitchell matching that number of steals and Magbegor also swatting three shots. If Hive can also more effectively end opponents’ possessions by improving their defensive rebounding, the team could cultivate an active, aggressive defensive identity.

Seeing that succeed against Rose, however, might be a too optimistic outcome. At this point, the expectation is that, no matter how well the opponent is playing or how big of a lead they accumulate, Chelsea Gray will, eventually, flip the game, taking control of the contest before walking the opponent down.

In this one, look for Rose and Gray, not Hive, to do the stinging.

Laces vs. Phantom is a clash of contrasting vibes

As Unrivaled commentators Brendan Glasheen and Sarah Kustock have emphasized, Laces are approaching the season with a strategic seriousness. They’re a vet-heavy club eager to explore the Xs and Os.

Their opponent on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV) gives off a different vibe.

If Laces are business-like in their approach, Phantom combines the frivolity of papi crops, mami crops and endless matcha with fierce competition.

Neither way is right or wrong, nor better or worse. Rather, the two clubs’ personalities reflect the different pathways to success possible at Unrivaled.

And on the court, the clubs might be more similar than different. Both teams have succeeded by sharing the basketball, with Phantom leading Unrivaled with 18 assists per game and Laces coming in second with just under 14 per contest. Kelsey Plum has piloted Phantom’s playmaking, tossing 17 dimes through three games. Alyssa Thomas has 15 helpers for Laces.

Many of those passes are setting up 3-pointers, as both clubs take about 21 3s per game and shoot approximately 37 percent from behind the arc. For Phantom, Natasha Cloud has started off the season hot from long range, going 8-for-15, or 53.3 percent, from 3. Brittney Sykes, a similarly streaky shooter from deep, likewise has been getting them up for Laces, hitting nine triples at a 47.3 percent clip. Laces also has Jackie Young converting 40 percent of her 3s, while Maddy Siegrist has hit half of her 3s, although she’s only attempted eight.

In short, these clubs have the potential to put on offensive showcase, featuring crisp ball movement and elite shotmaking.

However, when the likes of Thomas and Aliyah Boston are involved, two players that never hesitate to play with physicality, this game also could devolve into knock-out, drag-out battle. Young, Sykes and Naz Hillmon can also bring the physicality for Laces, while Cloud and Tiffany Hayes can follow Boston’s lead by doing the same for Phantom.

Tune into to see a bit of everything Unrivaled has to offer.