Can Rose defend his title? Will a new team take home the championship trophy?
The incredible playoffs have arrived. Starting Saturday, the five-game, five-day postseason will be decided by Wednesday’s championship tilt at Miami.
A new playoff format highlights a second postseason for the Miami-based league. The top six teams advanced and will compete for the title and a $600,000 prize pool, which will be divided among the six-player roster. Last year, four teams made the postseason, and each player on the championship team took home $50,000.
The top two seeds Phantom and Mist received byes into the semi-finals. In Saturday’s single-elimination, first-round games in Miami, No. 6 seed Vinyl plays No. 3 seed Lacey and No. 5 seed Breeze plays No. 4 seed Rose. As the No. 1 seed, the Phantoms will play the lowest remaining seed in the semi-finals; Haze will play the highest remaining seed.
The Roses took home the inaugural season trophy in 2025 after entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. The Phantoms have the league’s best record after a year of finishing last in the standings.
For the first time, playoff games will be on the road, as both semifinals will take place on Monday. Played at Barclays Center in New York. The move comes after Unrivaled played two games in Philadelphia in January, setting a record for the most attended regular season professional women’s basketball game by selling 21,490 seats at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Here’s everything you need to know about the six teams competing for the Unrivaled 2026 title, and how each matchup sets up.
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Air | ribbons | mist | Phantom | Rose | vinyl | first round | semi-finals
What to know about each playoff team
(1) Phantom (11-3)
The Phantoms are the hottest team in the postseason. They have won seven consecutive games, which matches the second-longest winning streak in Undefeated’s two-year history. This is a complete change from a year ago, when they failed to make the playoffs in 2025 with the worst regular season record. But with an almost entirely new group – led by a player unmatched for the first time kelsey plum – The Phantoms have led the standings throughout the season.
Their mix of experienced and young players has provided a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double figures. Plum leads the group with 22.6 points per game in the regular season, the third-best scoring mark in the league. aliyah bostonHer numbers dropped off slightly at the end of the regular season, but she was one of only two players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game; He also leads the league in blocks (2.1 per game).
The Phantoms’ defense has been their greatest asset; They give up 66.5 points per game, second-fewest in the league. Last year, he gave up the most points.
(2) Mist (10-4)
The mist has formed around the giants Breanna Stewart, alisha gray And Arike Ogunbowale — and he seems to be peaking at the right time, producing a balanced scoring performance that could be key in the postseason.
In the regular season, the team ranked first in scoring with 77.7 points per game, and the Mist are also unmatched in offensive rebounds (9.1 per game), rebounds (34.8) and steals (5.9). Last week, he set the record for most points in a nonconference game with 95 against the Brees. They are also the only team to score 90 points in three straight games on February 9, February 21 and Monday.
Gray, who was ill and sat out Friday’s regular season finale, is averaging 21.8 points and made the championship game of the one-on-one tournament. Stewart is right behind him with 21.4 points.
(3) Lace (10-4)
alyssa thomas And jackie young Arrived in Miami fresh off attending the WNBA Finals. After missing most of Unrevealed’s inaugural season, he’s been healthy, but it’s brittany sykes Who has taken Les to number 3 seed. She leads the team with 20.3 points per game, while Young averages 16.6 points and Thomas averages 11.0 points.
The Lakers went on a five-game winning streak to start the season and lost consecutive games only once – against the Phantoms on February 20 and against the Roses on Monday. But in the postseason, they must rediscover their early season dominance.
(4) Rose (6-8)
Current champion Rose has a chance to win two consecutive titles. led by chelsea gray and recently returned angel reeseThey can climax at exactly the right time.
Gray has been the best player in the league throughout the season, averaging 24.2 points (second in the league) and 6.3 assists (first). He won this season’s one-on-one tournament and set a record for most 3-pointers in a game with 10 in the Rose’s playoff-clinching win last week.
And now, Gray has reunited with Reese, who Bezod rejoined on 20 February After initially not returning for a second season. Reese’s return gives Rose a much-needed presence inside. He’s only played three games, but Reese is already averaging 10.3 rebounds, which ranks third in the league.
“It feels really good to be back,” Reese said. “To be in a healthy environment where the fans love basketball feels really good. I’m happy to be here. Unrivaled has done a great job of bringing out fans who really support each player.”
(5) air (6-8)
young origin of Paige Bueckers, Dominic Malonga, cameron brink And rickia jackson Has lived up to expectations. With an identity built around defense, Brees leads the league in blocks (3.6 per game) and ranks first in rebounds (34.9).
Bueckers’ game has translated beautifully into condensed 3-on-3 games. He ranks fourth in the league in scoring and assists, averaging 22.1 points and 5.5 assists before Friday.
“He’s a skilled player in a lot of ways,” Brees coach Noel Quinn said after his team made the playoffs. “Championships are fleeting, but impact and relationships last. She understands that at a young age. She’s one of a kind, and she carries this team forward.”
The key for the Brees in the postseason will be finding a consistent secondary scorer behind Bueckers, especially when they face more dangerous offenses.
(6) vinyl (5-9)
The Vinales were the last team to secure a spot in the playoffs, and they did so behind a career-high 30-point performance. rae burrell. But like many of his other strong performances throughout the season, Vinal’s attack was balanced.
raine howard, brittany griner And Erica Wheeler Played a key role in that win, and when Vinyl can feature multiple players, they bring out their best. diorica hamby and Howard have been the team’s leading scorers this season, averaging 17.1 and 16.3 points, respectively. Hamby also ranks eighth in rebounding (8.1 per game).
Inconsistencies have been an issue for vinyl. They never lost more than three in a row but also never won more than two in a row. In a win or go home format for the postseason, they will have to figure out how to break this pattern.
“There will be ups and downs,” Burrell said. “I feel like as a team, we’re staying consistent. … We’re looking at what’s next, what’s the next play. We’re moving forward as a team and just staying together.”
compared to the first round
(6) vinyl and (3) lace
Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, truTV/HBO Max (Sephora Arena, Miami)
Matchups to watch: Lecce’s Brittany Sykes finished the regular season with the third-best 3-point shooting clip among players who attempted at least five 3-pointers per game, shooting 40.0% on 5.4 attempts. For vinyl, Rhyne Howard scored 35.4% on 7.6 attempts. The scoring of both players has been vital to their teams’ success throughout the season, and they were especially important in Friday’s regular season finale. Let’s see if they can make it to the postseason.
Statistics to know: Lecce has made an impact on defense this season, limiting opponents to a league-low 64.8 points per game. This team features a strong and intelligent defender in Alyssa Thomas, top perimeter defenders in Jackie Young and Sykes, and a big player on the low end. Naz Hilmon. All together make it difficult for opponents to knock down shots.
(5) wind (4) rose
Saturday, 9:45 PM ET, truTV (Sephora Arena, Miami)
Matchups to watch: This game is full of elite matchups both in the paint and on the perimeter. But the two players to keep an eye on are Chelsea Gray and Paige Bueckers. Gray and Bueckers have been two of the league’s most offensive players, finishing second and fourth respectively in scoring. They also finished 1-2 in assists – Gray with 6.1 and Bueckers with 5.5 – epitomizing the battle between the “Point God”, one of the best point guards in women’s basketball history, and the former No. 1 pick and one of the WNBA’s brightest rising young stars.
Statistics to know: Rose shot a league-high 37.9% from beyond the 3-point line, but he also allowed his opponents to shoot 38.9%, the highest mark for opponent 3-point shooting. The Brees are the worst 3-point shooting team in the league (and attempt the fewest shots). Will Brees try to reverse that trend and put more emphasis on shooting against Rose’s lower perimeter defense – and elite rim protection – or will they rely on less upside in Dominic Malonga, Rickia Jackson and Cameron Brink?
Semifinal Schedule
(1) Lowest remaining seed in Phantom
Monday, 7:30 pm ET, TNT/truTV/HBO Max (Barclays Center, New York)
(2) Highest remaining seed on the grid
Monday, 8:45 PM ET, TNT/TruTV/HBO Max (Barclays Center, New York)
