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\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0gonna\u00a0be fun,\u201d Ogunbowale told reporters. \u201cI love Slim\u2019s game.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0tough. She can get to the cup. We\u00a0kind of have\u00a0a lot of the same thing, so it\u2019s gonna be a good\u00a0matchup.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0excited, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0excited to watch everybody else too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one-on-one tournament exposes everything about a player\u2019s game without teammates to turn to for help on the floor. Players put themselves in\u00a0a vulnerable position when competing in this type of\u00a0matchup.\u00a0One-on-one brings out skills that players may not even know they have to improve on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hive BC guard Kelsey Mitchell<\/a> is participating in the one-on-one tournament for the first time and is embracing the opportunity to \u201csee where (her) game is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0run away from it,\u201d Mitchell told reporters. \u201c(You) can\u2019t\u00a0shy away from the opportunity to see\u00a0where you are. It shows what this league is, shows how great this league is. \u2026 I\u2019m gonna trust the work that I put in. I\u2019m gonna trust the coaches around me, trust the\u00a0process\u00a0and make sure\u00a0it\u2019s about\u00a0fun. I think if I keep it about fun,\u00a0it\u2019ll\u00a0be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Aari McDonald injury trigers three-team trade<\/p>\n On\u00a0Monday,\u00a0Unrivaled announced that\u00a0Breeze BC guard\u00a0Aari McDonald<\/a> will miss the\u00a0remainder\u00a0of the 2026 Unrivaled season due to a right lower extremity injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n McDonald sustained an injury at the beginning of the season, appearing in only one game for\u00a0the Breeze. It is important to note that\u00a0McDonald\u00a0also suffered a season-ending injury during the 2025 WNBA season. She broke a bone in her right foot. McDonald was limited in minutes in Unrivaled while she recovered from her WNBA injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n Due to McDonald\u2019s injury, the Breeze\u00a0were\u00a0down to five players. Shortly after Unrivaled announced she would miss the\u00a0season,\u00a0it also\u00a0announced three trades to help fill McDonald\u2019s vacancy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vinyl BC traded guard Courtney Williams<\/a> to the Breeze to fill that void.\u00a0Additionally, Hive BC traded guard Saniya Rivers<\/a> to Vinyl BC to replace Williams, and Rose BC traded forward Azura Stevens to Hive BC to fill Rivers\u2019\u00a0spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rose BC now has a vacancy\u00a0on\u00a0its roster that needs to be filled. The sixth spot on the team\u2019s website reads \u201ccoming soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n Subscribe now to The IX Sports<\/a> and receive our daily women\u2019s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.<\/p>\n Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.<\/p>\n Week five game recaps<\/p>\n Friday games<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s double-header featured Hive BC<\/a> versus Breeze BC<\/a> and Laces BC<\/a> versus Lunar Owls BC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first game between Hive BC and Breeze BC went down to the wire, eventually leading to the Hive defeating the Breeze 70-68.\u00a0Former Hive guard Saniya\u00a0Rivers\u2019\u00a0third-quarter defense was a\u00a0game-changer,\u00a0helping generate momentum during\u00a0the Hive\u2019s 14-0 run to get the win.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSaniya is an X factor defensively,\u201d Hive coach Rena Wakama told reporters. \u201cAnd when\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0locked in and using her length and her strength, we\u2019re\u00a0a\u00a0really dangerous\u00a0team, and that\u2019s what\u00a0you guys\u00a0saw in that third quarter.\u201d<\/p>\n Wakama\u00a0also praised her team for their perseverance,\u00a0saying that she has \u201ca group of players that have\u00a0no\u00a0quit in them. \u2026 It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter what the score is, we\u2019re going to fight to the end.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Breeze players showed a lot of physical frustration throughout the game. Breeze BC head coach Noelle Quinn said her\u00a0team wasn\u2019t focused from the start of the game, which carried over to the third quarter when the Hive went on a run.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u00a0have a versatile team,\u201d Quinn told reporters. \u201cSo\u00a0I like our\u00a0bigs\u00a0that we have. It was just a matter of our compete level, getting stops and going to what was working,\u00a0continuing\u00a0to\u00a0lock into that. But we had 30 points in a paint in the first and then \u2026 I think\u00a0we got\u00a0away from the things that we were really finding flourishing in the first half.\u201d<\/p>\n In the second game between Laces BC and Lunar Owls BC, developmental pool\u00a0guard\u00a0Aziaha\u00a0James made her Unrivaled debut, scoring\u00a09\u00a0points along with\u00a0four assists, three rebounds and two steals in under 14 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lunar Owls head coach DJ Sackmann said he had no hesitation about calling up James from the\u00a0developmental\u00a0pool. She had impressed him during a preseason game she played with the team, and with the\u00a0hard work\u00a0she\u2019s put in to improve her individual skills\u00a0in the gym and in the weight room.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u00a0was phenomenal tonight,\u201d Sackmann told reporters. \u201cAs you can see, look like\u00a0she\u2019s in\u00a0mid-season\u00a0form.\u00a0So\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0super proud of her, and I hope\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0proud of herself,\u00a0because that was\u00a0a\u00a0great performance. First time (the)\u00a0lights\u00a0are on.\u00a0So\u00a0it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n James is using Unrivaled to prepare for her second season in the\u00a0WNBA,\u00a0stating that she \u201cshould be ready\u201d due to all the strides she\u2019s made.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels good to have the crowd looking out for me and cheering me on,\u201d James said. \u201cIt gives me more motivation to just continue to work on myself and just get ready for the next upcoming (thing).\u201d<\/p>\n Despite this game also going down to the\u00a0wire,\u00a0the Lunar Owls\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0able to secure their third win. The Laces\u00a0defeated\u00a0the Lunar Owls 74-70 to clinch the league\u2019s first playoff spot.<\/p>\n The IX Basketball, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom powered by The Next Saturday games<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s games featured Rose BC<\/a> versus Vinyl BC <\/a>and Phantom BC<\/a> versus\u00a0Mist\u00a0BC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rose BC\u00a0was able to end its losing streak with a 74-66 win over the Vinyl.\u00a0Rose forward Shakira Austin\u00a0had a huge performance for her team, securing a double-double with 22 points and 18 rebounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rose\u00a0BC\u00a0head coach Nola Henry<\/a> recognized that Austin made an impact on both ends of the\u00a0floor,\u00a0and her defense helped to create offense for the team.\u00a0Despite their\u00a0win,\u00a0Austin is still trying to find\u00a0consistency\u00a0in her game this season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI need to be able to put four quarters together, whether we have a bench, whether we have subs or not,\u201d Austin said. \u201cI just want to be that consistent, dependable player. And\u00a0I think that\u00a0just starts\u00a0on\u00a0my defense. I feel like I was losing that a little bit,\u00a0because\u00a0the first couple games, I kind of\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0getting my easy touches around the rim and (was) just frustrated in my head.<\/p>\n \u201cSo now that I kind of got that back down, packed with my efficiency, I have to still remember that I\u2019m a great defensive player, and that sets the tone for the team, and that\u2019s just the anchor that we\u00a0need\u00a0and we\u2019ve been searching for.\u00a0So\u00a0I just\u00a0have to\u00a0be that more.\u201d<\/p>\n In the second game, Phantom BC\u00a0defeated\u00a0Mist\u00a0BC 83-71.\u00a0<\/p>\n Phantom forward Kiki\u00a0Iriafen\u00a0<\/a>scored 20 points, going 7-for-12 from the floor, and grabbed seven rebounds\u00a0in the win. Phantom head coach Roneeka Hodges\u00a0was not surprised\u00a0that\u00a0Iriafen\u00a0had the performance she had, saying she \u201cknew that was coming.\u201d She also\u00a0noted Iriafen\u2019s\u00a0growth this season and how she has found joy in coaching Iriafen and helping develop the young player.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c(Iriafen) works hard. She puts the work in.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0a sponge for information,\u201d Hodges said. \u201cSo\u00a0when you are that\u00a0type of player, and you have that type of commitment to the game, to yourself and to the team, you have these types of\u00a0nights. And it came on a perfect night for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Phantom guard Kelsey Plum also had a night for herself, putting up 28 points with seven assists. Plum\u2019s teammates admired how she led their team.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I love about\u00a0KP\u00a0is\u00a0she holds herself accountable,\u201d Iriafen told reporters. \u201cShe\u2019s\u00a0our best player, and she\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0take any shortcuts, but she also wants me to tell her what\u00a0can (she) do better.\u00a0So\u00a0I think that\u00a0just says a lot. If our leader is open to having feedback, who am I to complain if somebody else is telling me to do\u00a0something?\u201d<\/p>\n The IX Soccer is here! <\/p>\n In case you missed it, The IX Sports introduced a new women\u2019s soccer-specific vertical called The IX Soccer<\/a>!<\/p>\n Just like The IX Basketball, this will be your destination for 24\/7 women\u2019s soccer coverage, including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes looks at your favorite teams and leagues, as well as news from around the world. <\/p>\n Follow the link below<\/a> and bookmark the page to stay up to date on the latest headlines in women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n Monday games<\/p>\n This week, Unrivaled took a break on Super Bowl Sunday and skipped\u00a0right to\u00a0Monday. The Monday games featured Phantom BC <\/a>versus Vinyl\u00a0BC<\/a>\u00a0and Mist BC<\/a> versus Rose BC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the first game, Phantom defeated Vinyl 76-73 in a nail-biter to clinch the\u00a0second playoff spot, joining Laces BC. <\/p>\n Phantom forward Aliyah Boston had the first 30-point game of her Unrivaled career. She combined with Plum for 63 of the team\u2019s 76 total points.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0grown from the time we became teammates,\u201d Boston said of her chemistry with Plum. \u201cI love KP, seriously. I think she\u2019s pushed me in a different way, and definitely mentally, which I think I needed to grow the most.\u00a0And so being able to do that this offseason has just been a pleasure for me. But KP is a hard worker. She comes in, she gets extra shots\u00a0up,\u00a0she just continues to work.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0a great communicator, which I love the most, and\u00a0I think we\u00a0just continue to build that connection every\u00a0single time\u00a0we step on that floor, and\u00a0so\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a beauty to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Hodges got emotional during the postgame press conference after her team secured the tough, pivotal win.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0proud,\u201d Hodges said. \u201cI had to get myself together, and I had to \u2026 keep my composure to go in there and speak to them because I had so many different emotions. We are playing some good ball right now. We\u2019re peaking. The ghost gang is unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u201cWe fought through some adversity. We got down. We\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0necessarily playing our best basketball, but we never gave up. \u2026 So\u00a0when you put your mind to something,\u00a0we\u2019re unstoppable. And\u00a0I think the ghost gang\u00a0did\u00a0a good job\u00a0of persevering today and coming out with that win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the loss, Vinyl BC guard Saniya Rivers seemed to mesh seamlessly in her debut with the team. In just four minutes, she had 5 points on 2-for-2 shooting and a block.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u00a0was good to see her out there playing alongside these young ladies and having fun playing and playing the way that she did,\u201d Vinyl head coach Teresa Weatherspoon told reporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the second game,\u00a0Mist\u00a0BC defeated\u00a0Rose\u00a0BC 90-64. Ogunbowale\u00a0scored a season-high 29 points to knock off the reigning\u00a0champs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the second quarter, the Mist took a large lead, more than doubling Rose BC\u2019s points and outscoring them 29-13. The Rose\u00a0were\u00a0never able to climb back from the\u00a018-point halftime deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Mist had a successful night with four players in double figures:\u00a0Ogunbowale, wing Breanna Stewart, <\/a>guard Veronica\u00a0Burton<\/a>\u00a0and guard Allisha Gray<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ogunbowale\u00a0said that her team was unhappy with how they played on\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0which fueled them to\u00a0play together and come out on top Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Want more women\u2019s hockey content? Subscribe to The Ice Garden! The staff of The Ice Garden has paved the way for women\u2019s hockey coverage from the college ranks to international competitions. Of course, that includes in-depth coverage of the PWHL too. For a limited time, free signups at The Ice Garden can sample all the work they do. Check it out, sign up now!<\/p>\n Free throw challenge check in<\/p>\n The second free-throw challenge of the season kicked\u00a0off Jan. 30.\u00a0<\/p>\n Allisha Gray is currently sitting at the top of the\u00a0leadboard,\u00a0having gone a perfect 9-for-9 from the line. Gray\u2019s WNBA\u00a0teammate, Vinyl BC guard\u00a0Rhyne Howard,\u00a0is in second, sitting at 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-on-1-Tournament-Bracket-Final.jpeg\")
Unrivaled\u2019s one-on-one tournament bracket for the 2026 season. (Photo Credit: Unrivaled Basketball)\u00a0<\/p>\n
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