1 Word to Describe Every Unrivaled Playoff Team Ahead of 2025 Postseason

Unrivaled's regular season was a fun time, a 14-game sprint filled with tough shot-making, exciting fast breaks, crucial defensive stops and plenty of trash talk along the way. We saw young players like Angel Reese, Aaliyah Edwards and Rae Burrell spread their wings to varying degrees. We also saw established stars like Napheesa Collier and Chelsea Gray reassert their dominance.

Now, we've reached the most important stretch of the season: playoff time.

The four-team, single-elimination format should serve as a hectic culmination of a successful inaugural season of Unrivaled play. Will the Lunar Owls—headlined by this year's Coach of the Year (DJ Sackmann) and two All-Unrivaled members (Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith)—continue their dominance en route to a championship?

What about the Gray-led Rose, winners of five of their last seven—including the Lunar Owls' only loss of the season? Their roster is a bit up-in-the-air at the moment (more on that shortly), but it's not hard to envision the Gray-Angel Reese connection leading them to glory.

Injuries derailed what looked to be a dominant season for Laces BC. With Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes back in the fold, I don't think you could rule out a championship run for them. Their blend of off-ball screening and general (ball) movement should prove a tough test for anyone.

Then there's Vinyl BC, a team that had to sort through its own injury woes this season. Led by All-Unrivaled Second Teamer Rhyne Howard and the versatile Dearica Hamby (had a strong argument in her own right), there's a healthy mix of scoring prowess and defensive versatility that can give any team fits. Heck, they nearly handed the Lunar Owls their second loss earlier this month.

As we enter the final weekend of play, let's finish how we started: a word to describe every team remaining.

It has to start here, right?

While I can make a case for any of the four teams winning twice and taking home the championship (and an extra $50K), the Lunar Owls should be the favorites to pull things off.

They led the league in [checks notes]: points (80.7), assists (15.6), steals (5.3), blocks (2.8), turnovers (only 6.2), field-goal percentage (52.6) and scoring margin (+12.1). Collier, named to the All-Unrivaled First Team, will likely take home MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors when they're announced over the weekend.

Diggins-Smith and Allisha Gray have provided strong drives, tough shot making, and in-your-jersey defense all season. Shakira Austin has come into her own as the season has progressed, providing defensive versatility and a mobile option in ball screens. Courtney Williams has popped as a pick-and-roll creator and mid-range maestro all season.

Keep an eye on their ball security and three-point shooting in their matchup against Vinyl BC on Sunday; a rough night in either area will allow the Vinyl to fly in transition and put them in position for the upset.

Wheeeeew buddy, I'm not sure there's a team I'd want to see less in a close game than Rose BC.

They've collectively earned that respect over the second half of the season, but that distinction naturally begins with the stellar play of All-Unrivaled First Teamer Chelsea Gray.

Gray led Unrivaled with six game-winning shots, and that obviously doesn't include her pristine playmaking. Her ability to control a game is, and I apologize in advance, unrivaled in the space.

Of course, that's assuming the team is healthy enough to find themselves in this kind of position.

Kahleah Copper, their most dynamic wing scorer, has missed the last seven games. Angel Reese appeared to aggravate her wrist in Rose BC's final regular-season game. During media availability on Friday, head coach Nola Henry's update on the two was...well, no update.

In a best-case scenario, there's a bit of gamesmanship going on, and we'll see Copper and Reese on Sunday night. In the worst case, Copper remains out while Reese is either absent or hindered by the wrist.

In that scenario, there will (continue to) be a large burden on Gray, while boosts from Brittney Sykes (playing better as of late), Azura Stevens (a per-minute monster this season) and Lexie Hull (a willing cutter and strong defender) will be needed for a run. None of that is out of the realm of possibility, but it would make the Rose's path more difficult.

We'll see!

The Laces feel like the true wild cards of the bracket. Their record doesn't really reflect how good they are; they were absolutely hammered by the injury bug this season.

All-Unrivaled First Teamer Kayla McBride and sniper-hub Stefanie Dolson were the only two members of the team to appear in every game. Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin (whose status remains up in the air for the postseason) all missed significant time.

They do appear to be getting healthy at the right time, with Thomas, Young and Hayes all making their returns over the final week-and-a-half of the regular season. And at their best, we've seen Laces BC carve teams up with their blend of pace, movement, and (off-ball) screening.

Thomas has largely served as a post or handoff hub but has destroyed players on drives when she's called her own number. Young finished the regular season strong, converting 61 percent of her twos (11-of-18) and 50 percent of her threes (7-of-14) over the last two games. Hayes is looking to regain her form from deep, but ended her regular season with three straight games of 50-percent-or-better shooting inside the arc. The drives and cuts are back in a real way.

Add in the three-level bucket-getting from McBride, and the screen-and-shoot value of Dolson, and you have one of the most complete teams in the league.

While I'd understand why someone would look at the record and write off the Vinyl, I don't know if I'd recommend that.

They have the makeup of a team that can bother anyone in a one-off: scorers who can run hot and render contests moot (Rhyne Howard and Arike Ogunbowale, who alluded to being ready for Sunday's action), mismatch-winning bigs (Dearica Hamby, Aliyah Boston), a guard who can dictate pace and play on both ends (Jordin Canada), and a two-way spark plug who can turn a game on its head (Rae Burrell).

More than anything, this is a roster full of players who love proving people wrong. On top of that, they're coached by Teresa Weatherspoon—someone who could probably inspire a wall to run through another wall for her.

On that note, I got a good kick out of Weatherspoon ending Friday's media availability with a two-word warning shot: "We're coming."

It would behoove the Lunar Owls to come ready to play.