Phantom, Mist to vie for Unrivaled title after semifinal wins

NEW YORK – The unmatched 3-on-3 league will crown its second champion Wednesday night when the No. 1 seed Phantoms BC and the No. 2 seed Mist face off at Sephora Arena in Miami.

The Phantoms edged No. 6 Virginia 83-75. kelsey plum31 points, and the Mist posted a 16-point comeback victory over the fifth-seeded Brees, 73–69, in a pair of semifinal games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The semi-final games were played in front of a crowd of 18,231 after the league announced a last-minute venue change on 13 February. And the Players produced two close, entertaining games. Arike Ogunbowale Mist sealed the win with the game-winning 3.

“Everyone was putting on a show and that’s what you want for the fans,” Plum said.

The night also marked a homecoming for the Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewartwho plays for new york liberty. fellow co-founder Nafeesa Collier In attendance were other league stars and celebrities including Ashton Kutcher, Hilary Knight and Jason Sudeikis.

“This is my home,” said Stewart, whose 23 points led the way for the Mist. “Once I knew [the semifinals in Brooklyn] That was happening, I said, ‘My team has to stay here. I want to play in this game.”

The Phantoms may have been the top seed in the postseason, but the club made the finals against adversity: On Sunday, Star Center aliyah bostonWas the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Eliminated from the remainder of the playoffs Due to lower extremity injury. aziyah james And Makayla Timpson The club was assigned for the remainder of the postseason.

Phantoms are also without a forward Satou Sabli Due to injuries suffered throughout the season during the WNBA Finals, as well as guard dana evans For all but one game.

The Mist faced a challenge of their own on Monday night, as a poor start led them to a 26-10 deficit at the end of the first quarter. But Stewart inspired changes to ensure his team did not lose on its home court.

Both the Phantoms and Mist missed the playoffs in 2025. The Phantoms, now riding a nine-game winning streak, have a 2-0 2026 series lead over the Mist.

Defending champion Rose was upset by Breeze in the quarterfinals on Saturday. their point guard chelsea gray The first MVPs were crowned on Monday and recognized on the court before games.

After a successful tour stop in New York – the second of the season after setting an attendance record at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena in January – the league will return to its home base in Miami, where players will compete for a $600,000 prize pool.

Stewart said the league also considered hosting the championship game at Barclays before deciding to hold it as scheduled at its 1,000-seat home venue.

“there is [value] To go out there and win a championship that you’ve built,” he said. “So even though it’s a smaller field and venue, that’s where the banner is waved, that’s where Rose is, and now we’re going to fight for that championship at the place we’ve been working all season.”