Unrivaled player rankings: Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, and 3 other early standouts

Unrivaled is officially underway, and so it’s time for the first Unrivaled player rankings. Every Tuesday during the Unrivaled season, SB Nation will rank the league’s top 5 performers in an MVP ladder. Unrivaled, the new professional women’s 3-on-3 co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, tipped off on Jan. 17 and will run through March 17.

First, for context, here are the league’s six clubs, ranked by their performance this season. Interestingly, four of the league’s six teams are currently tied in the standings with a 2-4 record.

1. Lunar Owls (6-0): Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Storm), Allisha Gray (Dream), Shakira Austin (Mystics), and Cameron Brink (Sparks, will only play beginning 2026).
2. Laces (4-2): Jackie Young (Aces), Tiffany Hayes (free agent), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Alyssa Thomas (Mercury), Kate Martin (Valkyries), and Stef Dolson (Mystics).
3. Mist (2-4): Jewell Loyd (Aces), DiJonai Carrington (Wings), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Courtney Vandersloot (Sky), Rickea Jackson (Sparks), and Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics)
4. Phantom (2-4): Satou Sabally (Mercury), Marina Mabrey (Sun), Brittney Griner (Dream), Natasha Cloud (Sun), Katie Lou Samuelson (Fever), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty)
5. Rose (2-4): Chelsea Gray (Aces), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Angel Reese (Sky), Brittney Sykes (Mystics), Lexie Hull (Fever), and Azura Stevens (Sparks)
6. Vinyl (2-4): Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Rhyne Howard (Dream), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Jordin Canada (Dream), Rae Burrell (Sparks), and Dearica Hamby (Sparks)

The best players in Unrivaled so far

From the jump, two players have stood out with their consistent play and impact on winning: Minnesota Lynx stars Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride. Both players led the Lynx to a WNBA Finals appearance in October, and now, playing in Unrivaled, it appears that the memory of a heartbreaking Game 5 loss has them playing the best basketball of their career.

1. Napheesa Collier (Lunar Owls): Collier’s Lunar Owls is the only undefeated club through six games — and Collier has led the way. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year — and Unrivaled co-founder — has averaged 29.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1 block per game this season. Collier’s also been one of the league’s most efficient players this season, despite shouldering such a heavy offensive load. As of Friday, the 6’1 forward was shooting 62.9% from the field, good for second-best in the 37-player league.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

2. Kayla McBride (Laces): The Laces are the league’s second-best team, and McBride has been a big reason why. She’s the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal per game. She’s shooting 49% from the field and 45% from three, as of Friday’s games. The Laces have received contributions from several players — and they haven’t been quite the same force since Alyssa Thomas went down with a knee injury — but McBride has kept them competitive every game.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

3. Dearica Hamby (Vinyl): Hamby has been awesome for the Vinyl so far this season, averaging 21.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Hamby missed one game due to personal reasons — a Vinyl loss — but the Los Angeles Sparks star has consistently been one of the best players on the floor. Her efficiency has been through the roof too — as of Friday, Hamby is shooting 61.3% from the field.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

4. Allisha Gray (Lunar Owls): Napheesa Collier has been the head of the snake for the Lunar Owls, but Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray has also been hugely important to the club’s undefeated start. Gray is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 14.8 minutes per game, and has served as one of the league’s most effective go-to scorers thus far.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

5. Sabrina Ionescu (Phantom): The Phantom began the season with a 0-3 record, but they’ve since won two of three and are right back in the mix. Sabrina Ionescu, who missed two games this season due to NBA Paris commitments and had a tough opening game, has been a big reason for the late success. She led the team in all categories in a win against the Rose on Friday — recording 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists — and has been one of the league’s most efficient three-point shooters to date. Ionescu is averaging 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in a league-high 21.3 minutes per game.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Honorable mentions: Skylar Diggins-Smith (Lunar Owls), Tiffany Hayes (Laces), Alyssa Thomas (Laces), Satou Sabally (Phantom), Breanna Stewart (Mist), Chelsea Gray (Rose)