Happy New Year, fam! We made it. It is officially Unrivaled season. The wait is over.
Now, before we get into the matchups, I gotta address the elephant in the room.
I’ve been living in the comments section on the Substack this week—shoutout to the day-ones, I see y’all—and my DMs have been blowing up. And I’m noticing a vibe.
You guys are excited... but you’re also a little skeptical. You’re used to the precision of the 5-on-5 game, and you’re worried this is going to look like chaos.
I grabbed five of the best questions I received this week to set the record straight before tip-off. Let’s get into it.
1. The “Glorified Practice” Factor
From Sarah in Chicago (via Email):
“I want to support the ladies, but be honest with me: Is this just going to look like a glorified practice scrimmage? I don’t want to pay to watch warm-ups.”
My Take: Sarah, I hear you. We’ve all seen All-Star games that look like nobody is trying. But here is the difference: The money. With the salaries these women are making and the equity on the line, the intensity is going to be through the roof.
Also, forget what you know about Olympic 3x3 half-court sets. Unrivaled is played on a compressed full court (70x50). It eliminates the “jog back on defense” phase. It is a sprint from start to finish. It’s not a warm-up; it’s a track meet with a basketball.
2. Is it just “Hero Ball”?
From @HoopsLover99 (Substack Comments):
“I love good passing. If it’s just three people, is the game flow gone? Am I just watching one person dribble for 15 seconds while two people watch?”
My Take: Actually, it’s the opposite. In 5-on-5, you can hide a weak defender or a player who is “resting” in the corner. In 3x3, there is nowhere to hide.
Because there is no help-side defense coming to save you, the offense has to move. If everyone stands still, the defense wins every time. You are going to see a lot of “pick-and-roll” and “give-and-go” action. The spacing is huge, which actually highlights high-IQ passing more than a crowded 5-on-5 lane does.
3. The Math Problem
From Davina (via DM):
“Please tell me the scoring isn’t weird. I hate when 3x3 counts shots as 1s and 2s. Does a 3-pointer still count?”
My Take: Great question, Davina. One of the biggest complaints about FIBA 3x3 is that it devalues the deep ball by making it worth 2 points and inside shots worth 1.
Unrivaled knows their audience. They know we are here for the shooters. While they have experimented with specific scoring rules to keep the pace up, the philosophy of this league is to highlight elite skill. You are going to see the sharpshooters rewarded properly. This is a league built by players for players, they aren’t going to nerf their own shooting stats!
4. The Fatigue Factor
From Tasha (via Email):
“The rosters look small. What happens when players get tired or in foul trouble? Do we just run out of bodies?”
My Take: This is where the strategy gets interesting. 3x3 is anaerobic—it is short bursts of high intensity. You don’t pace yourself like you do in a 40-minute WNBA game.
You are going to see frequent subs. It’s “hockey line change” style. A player goes hard for 90 seconds, gets gassed, and the next woman is up. It actually keeps the product better because you are almost always watching players at 100% energy, rather than watching tired players jog through the fourth quarter.
5. Physicality vs. Danger
From “ClarkEffect22” (Substack Comments):
“I know 3x3 is supposed to be ‘grittier,’ but I don’t want to see anyone get hurt before the WNBA season. Is it going to be a foul-fest?”
My Take: This is the biggest balancing act. Yes, the refs generally “let them play” more in this format. You’ll see more hand-checking and more contact in the lane.
However, these are the best players in the world. They know how to be physical without being dirty. Plus, because the court is shorter, there are fewer high-speed collisions in transition (which is where a lot of scary injuries happen in 5-on-5). It will be physical, but think “playoff intensity,” not “flagrant foul danger.”
Want more Unrivaled coverage? I’m dropping a breakdown of the opening week matchups this Sunday exclusively for subscribers of the Substack. Hit that button below so you don’t miss out!
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