Aaliyah Edwards delivered a surprising upset in the first round of the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament by defeating the top-seeded Breanna Stewart with a score of 12-0.
This tournament, scheduled over a span of three days, features 23 of the league’s 36 players, as a few were occupied with other obligations and others were sidelined due to injuries.
In the matchup, Stewart had the initial possession but was unable to convert on a contested layup attempt. Edwards quickly took control of the game, making a 3-pointer from the corner followed by a jumper from the elbow, putting her ahead 5-0. Players retain possession after scoring, and Edwards capitalized on that rule, sinking two layups and another 3-pointer to secure her victory. Stewart, who is a two-time WNBA MVP, struggled on the offensive end, missing all three shot attempts.
Interestingly, Edwards, who plays alongside Stewart in Unrivaled, was not the only one to cause an upset, as seventh-seeded Shakira Austin also triumphed over Chelsea Gray with a score of 12-2.
In addition to these highlights, other athletes advancing to the next round included Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Rhyne Howard, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Rickea Jackson, Rae Burrell, Azura Stevens, Courtney Williams, DiJonai Carrington, and Satou Sabally. These players moved on because their respective opponents were unable to compete due to injuries.
Both Arike Ogunbowale and Jewell Loyd received byes in the first round as they held top seeds. Edwards will also advance directly to the quarterfinals, as the other matchup in her bracket could not take place because of injuries to Kate Martin and Marina Mabrey.
The second round and quarterfinals are set to take place on Tuesday, with the semifinals and finals happening on Friday night. All matches leading up to the finals will be single elimination, with games played to a score of 11 points or lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, whichever comes first.
The final series will follow a best-of-three format, with each game also played to 11 points. Scoring will adhere to traditional basketball rules, with baskets worth either two or three points.
Participants in this event are competing for an impressive prize pool of $350,000. The champion will take home $200,000, while the runner-up will receive $50,000. Those who reach the semifinals but do not progress further will each earn $25,000, and teammates of the champion from Unrivaled will receive $10,000 each.
