{"id":382510,"date":"2026-01-01T23:39:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T23:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/382510\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T23:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T23:39:08","slug":"2026-unrivaled-returns-jan-5-paige-bueckers-to-make-debut-in-3-on-3-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/382510\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Unrivaled returns Jan. 5: Paige Bueckers to make debut in 3-on-3 league"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dallas Wings&#8217; Paige Bueckers brings her star power to Unrivaled Basketball\u2019s second season, joining top WNBA talent and fresh faces.<\/p>\n<p>DALLAS \u2014 Unrivaled Basketball, the 3-on-3 league founded by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfaa.com\/dallaswings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">WNBA<\/a> stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, tips off its second season next week, and expectations couldn\u2019t be higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Designed to give players a domestic offseason option, the league\u2019s inaugural season was such a success that it\u2019s expanding from six to eight teams, featuring 48 total players.<\/p>\n<p>While Caitlin Clark is not among them, there are some notable new names, including 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Mitchell, Cameron Brink and Dominique Malonga.<\/p>\n<p>A familiar group of UConn alumnae also headline the 2026 roster. Stewart, Collier, Aaliyah Edwards and Azur\u00e1 Stevens return alongside Tiffany Hayes, a late addition to the lineup following Satou Sabally\u2019s withdrawal due to injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bueckers, another former Husky, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfaa.com\/article\/syndication\/associatedpress\/paige-bueckers-goes-no-1-in-unrivaled-draft-joins-the-breeze\/616-caa629ef-a5fa-44ce-8c93-6ded2b8b1843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">will make her Unrivaled debut<\/a> after working with the league last season through a Name, Image and Likeness partnership while still at UConn.<\/p>\n<p>Collier, however, will not compete this season as she continues to recover from a left ankle injury suffered<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfaa.com\/article\/syndication\/associatedpress\/wilson-scores-31-and-aces-win-third-wnba-title-in-4-seasons-beating-mercury-97-86-for-4-game-sweep\/616-8c5d0af5-7ba8-4a4a-a982-9e068c0065e6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">\u00a0during Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals in September<\/a>. ESPN reports that the Minnesota Lynx star needs surgery on both ankles and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/napheesa24\/p\/DS-PbuMEe-m\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">will sit out this winter to focus on her 4-6 months of rehab<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrivaled.basketball\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Unrivaled\u2019s 2026<\/a> field is stacked with talent, with 14 of its players being 2025 WNBA All-Stars. With expanded rosters, fresh faces and high-stakes negotiations looming in the background, Unrivaled\u2019s sophomore season promises to deliver both elite basketball and plenty of storylines.<\/p>\n<p>The season opener kicks off on Monday, Jan. 5, and the regular season is set to end Feb. 27, with playoffs starting the very next day and the championship game slated for March 4.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n2026 Unrivaled Rosters                    <\/p>\n<p>Breeze BC: Paige Bueckers, Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, Aari McDonald, Kate Martin, Cameron BrinkHive BC:\u00a0Kelsey Mitchell, Sonia Citron, Ezi Magbegor, Natisha Hiedeman, Saniya Rivers, Monique BillingsLaces BC:\u00a0Jackie Young, Brittney Sykes, Alyssa Thomas, Jordin Canada, Maddy Siegrist, Naz HillmonLunar Owls BC:\u00a0Skylar Diggins, Marina Mabrey, Napheesa Collier, Rachel Banham, Rebecca Allen, Aaliyah EdwardsMist BC:\u00a0Allisha Gray, Breanna Stewart, Alanna Smith, Veronica Burton, Arike Ogunbowale, Li YueruPhantom BC: Kelsey Plum, Satou Sabally, Aliyah Boston, Dana Evans, Natasha Cloud, Kiki IriafenRose BC:\u00a0Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Azur\u00e1 Stevens, Sug Sutton, Lexie Hull, Shakira AustinVinyl BC:\u00a0Courtney Williams, Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, Erica Wheeler, Rae Burrell, Brittney Griner                    <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\nUnrivaled key dates                    <\/p>\n<p>Season opener: 1 p.m. on Jan. 5Regular-season runs Jan. 5 through\u00a0Feb. 27Mid-season 1v1 tournament:\u00a0Feb. 11 through Feb. 14Playoffs: Feb. 28 through March 4 (Championship at 9:30 p.m. on TNT\/truTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\nUnrivaled January schedule &amp; how to watch                    <\/p>\n<p>Unrivaled\u2019s 2026 season runs from Monday, Jan. 5, through Wednesday, March 4, when a new champion will be crowned. The league will pause briefly in mid-February for the 1-on-1 tournament. Fans can catch every game on TruTV, TNT or streaming on HBO Max.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paige Bueckers\u2019 **Breeze BC** matchups are highlighted in bold.<\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. ET \u2014 Mist BC vs. Hive BC (TruTV)2:15 p.m. ET \u2014 Vinyl BC vs. Laces BC (TruTV)8 p.m. ET \u2014 Lunar Owls BC vs. Rose BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)9:15 p.m. ET \u2014 Phantom BC vs. Breeze BC\u00a0(TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Vinyl BC vs. Rose BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Breeze BC vs. Hive BC\u00a0(TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Lunar Owls BC vs. Phantom BC (TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Laces BC vs. Mist BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Rose BC vs. Breeze BC\u00a0(TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Hive BC vs. Vinyl BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Mist BC vs. Phantom BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Laces BC vs. Lunar Owls BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Laces BC vs. Phantom BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Rose BC vs. Hive BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Mist BC vs. Lunar Owls BC (TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Breeze BC vs. Vinyl BC\u00a0(TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Rose BC vs. Laces BC (TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Hive BC vs. Phantom BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>8 p.m. ET \u2014 Phantom BC vs. Mist BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)9:15 p.m. ET \u2014 Vinyl BC vs. Lunar Owls BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Mist BC vs. Rose BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Phantom BC vs. Vinyl BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Lunar Owls BC vs. Breeze BC\u00a0(TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Hive BC vs. Laces BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. ET \u2014 Vinyl BC vs. Mist BC (TruTV)2:15 p.m. ET \u2014 Phantom BC vs. Rose BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Lunar Owls BC vs. Hive BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Laces BC vs. Breeze BC\u00a0(TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Breeze BC vs. Phantom BC\u00a0(TNT &amp; TruTV)8:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Rose BC vs. Lunar Owls BC (TNT &amp; TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p>4:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Hive BC vs. Mist BC (TruTV)5:45 p.m. ET \u2014 Laces BC vs. Vinyl BC (TruTV)                    <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrivaled.basketball\/schedule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Click here<\/a> to see the full 2026 Unrivaled schedule.<\/p>\n<p>    <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dallas Wings&#8217; Paige Bueckers brings her star power to Unrivaled Basketball\u2019s second season, joining top WNBA talent and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382511,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":{"0":"post-382510","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-wnba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}