Napheesa Collier has been topped the inaugural champion of Unmatched’s 1v1 match, after defeating Washington Mystics ahead Aaliyah Edwards in a best-of-three finals collection.
The Minnesota Lynx star, who co-founded Unmatched alongside New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, has been the league’s greatest participant since gameplay tipped off on Jan. 17, averaging 29.3 factors and 11.5 rebounds per recreation. And, her Lunar Owls workforce stays undefeated 8 video games into the common season.
On Friday, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months added one other notch to her belt. Whereas Edwards beat Collier 9-6 within the opening recreation of the Finals, Collier fired again with two consecutive wins to safe the victory, shut out Edwards solely in Recreation 3 with an 8-0 win.
Because of this, Collier secured a $200,000 verify — an quantity that rivals her annual WNBA wage. And every of her Lunar Owls teammates — Skylar Diggins-Smith, Courtney Williams, Shakira Austin, Allisha Grey, and Cameron Brink — may also stroll away with $10,000. That wrinkle was added to encourage camaraderie and engagement from teammates who’ve already been eradicated.
Edwards, who defeated Breanna Stewart, Allisha Grey, and Arike Ogunbowale en path to a Finals berth, will stroll away with a $50,000 money prize. And Ogunbowale and Azura Stevens, the 2 semi-finals, will every money in $25,000.
Why Unmatched selected to incorporate a 1v1 match
The 1v1 match, which started on Monday, was meant to showcase the quantity of expertise at Unmatched and in ladies’s basketball, whereas additionally offering further revenue alternatives for gamers, and serving to revitalize a tradition of pickup.
On Thursday, Ogunbowale stated that she didn’t assume such a match would make sense for NBA or WNBA All-Star weekend, noting that gamers want that point to relaxation and that the 1v1 match is one thing that requires gamers to be rejuvenated.
However, gamers agreed they had been excited for the prospect to compete in it in the course of the WNBA offseason.
Skilled basketball gamers have traditionally been immune to competing in 1v1 tournaments, understanding that doing so may danger being publicly embarrassed.
However, Collier stated Thursday that the money prize was sufficient to inspire gamers to place their fears apart and take part.
“I feel as soon as individuals noticed the prize cash, that sort of abated plenty of our worries,” she stated. “As a result of, for 200k — and it was extra earlier than we determined to separate it up between the teammates of the winner — I feel simply seeing that cash acquired everybody chomping on the bit to go on the market.”
The Unmatched match can also be a chance to assist revitalize a ladies’s 1v1 basketball tradition. Collier famous that whereas males oftentimes play 1v1 basketball, that’s much less widespread on the ladies’s aspect.
“That’s one thing we’re making an attempt to vary, simply that environment the place the whole lot’s not as organized basketball, however simply taking part in in your yard or on the park,” she stated.
Collier’s WNBA season led to heartbreak after her Lynx workforce fell to the Liberty in additional time within the deciding Recreation 5 of the WNBA Finals after a controversial foul name on the finish of regulation.
However, up to now she’s been capable of redeem herself fairly properly, dominating Unmatched’s common season, and now, the 1v1 match.
The match victory gained’t utterly erase the ache of a misplaced championship — however it’s a very good step to getting Collier again within the win column.
