The Unrivaled matchup between Laces BC and Vinyl BC on Saturday night has been canceled in order to "prioritize player health and safety," the league announced. Saturday's game between Mist BC and Lunar Owls BC will still take place and has been moved to 6 p.m. ET.
No further details regarding the situation were released by the league, but Laces BC are dealing with a number of injuries:
- Alyssa Thomas went down with a knee injury during the team's win over Vinyl BC on Jan. 24 and has not played since.
- Jackie Young missed the first four games with a knee injury, then re-injured her knee in the team's loss to Rose BC on Feb. 1.
- Tiffany Hayes was also injured during the loss to Rose BC on Feb. 1. She left that game with a concussion and no update has been given on her status.
UPDATE FOR TONIGHT pic.twitter.com/wfmA52ZQ1i
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) February 8, 2025
If all three were going to be unable to play on Saturday, that would have left Laces BC with only three healthy players: Stefanie Dolson, Kate Martin and Kayla McBride. Throughout the season, the league has brought in injury replacement players, and indeed Laces BC signed Kiki Jefferson to a "relief player contract" early on Saturday.
Even so, the league has made the decision not to move forward with Saturday's contest. No information has been announced regarding a potential make-up date.
Unrivaled is a new 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The duo started the league to give players an opportunity to stay home during the offseason and compete against elite competition while also earning a significant salary.
The league's inaugural season tipped off in Miami on Jan. 17 and the regular season will run through March 10. A short, single-elimination playoffs will follow with the semifinals on March 16 and the championship on March 17.
