The upcoming Unmatched 1 on 1 Match will function a break up prize pool. However simply who can be topped the first-ever 1-on-1 champion?
Unmatched has been an enormous hit among the many ladies’s basketball world, and it is about to get much more thrilling. In its inaugural season, Unmatched will function a 1-on-1 fashion match. This can be a first of it is form, and I am right here for it. We’re about to witness who’s the most effective participant on each side of the ball.
Offering a mid-season beak for the gamers, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier aimed for a queen-of-the-court sort occasion.
“That is the place we’re going to have the ability to showcase our abilities in a lot of methods, stated Stewart on media day. I am actually enthusiastic about it. Excited clearly—the prize for the champion, but in addition being profitable on your teammates.”
With a complete prize pool price $350,000, the match will function 30 gamers grouped into 4 pods. The perfect half about this all? There’s financial incentive and bragging rights on the road. Whereas winner-takes-all is all the time a pleasant gesture, I am most excited concerning the prize pool break up.
The winner will obtain $200,000, and there is a bonus. As well as, every winner of the topped will obtain $10,000 every. Second place will earn $50,000, and semi-finalists will obtain $25,000. Given the bottom wage within the WNBA is $59,180, that is the whole lot. Designed to be aggressive among the many contributors, there is a pool of money ready to award the winners.
There is a twist to this. Introduced by Sprite, the match will function a fan vote, which I’ll talk about later on this article. That features key dates forward of the match.
The prize pot is hefty
Whereas each participant might use the reward, this could possibly be intriguing for gamers similar to Kate Martin, who is about to make $68,595 in 2025.
Headlined by Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Breanna Stewart, the typical 2024 WNBA wage of all 30 gamers, in keeping with Spotrac, is 4.8 million. That is a median wage of simply north of $160,000. A novel alternative could be life-changing for these ladies. Actually, in 2024, 9 of the 30 contributors made below $100,000. That alone reveals how there must be honest and equal pay in ladies’s sports activities.
The highest annual WNBA wage in 2024 was $241,984. Let that soak in for only a minute.
Unmatched single-handedly proves only a snippet of what these ladies deserve. That goes past cash; it consists of correct services.
Noticeably absent is Angel Reese, Brittney Griner, Stefanie Dolson, Cameron Brink (Injured), Sabrina Ionescu, and Courtney Vandersloot from the one-on-one festivities. Under is a breakdown of the 30 contributors supplied by Unmatched and their respective pods.
Pod A
Shakira Austin (Lunar Owls)
Rae Burrell (Vinyl)
Natasha Cloud (Phantom)
Chelsea Grey (Rose)
Jewell Loyd (Mist)
Azurá Stevens (Rose)
Alyssa Thomas (Laces)
eighth Seed (BYE)
Pod B
Napheesa Collier (Lunar Owls)
Tiffany Hayes (Laces)
Rhyne Howard (Vinyl)
Lexie Hull (Rose)
Rickea Jackson (Mist)
Katie Lou Samuelson (Phantom)
Courtney Williams (Lunar Owls)
Jackie Younger (Laces)
Pod C
Aliyah Boston (Vinyl)
Jordin Canada (Vinyl)
Kahleah Copper (Rose)
Aaliyah Edwards (Mist)
Allisha Grey (Lunar Owls)
Marina Mabrey (Phantom)
Kate Martin (Laces)
Breanna Stewart (Mist)
Pod D
DiJonai Carrington (Mist)
Skylar Diggins- Smith (Lunar Owls)
Dearica Hamby (Vinyl)
Kayla McBride (Laces)
Arike Ogunbowale (Vinyl)
Satou Sabally (Phantom)
Brittney Sykes (Rose)
eighth Seed (BYE)
What Are the 1-on-1 Match Guidelines?
Beginning on February 1, the match will function single elimination 1st spherical, 2nd spherical, Quarterfinals, and Semi-finals. There are not any second or third possibilities—it is a cutthroat one and accomplished. The Finals will embrace a best-of-three collection, together with a successful rating of 11.
Contemplating this can be a 1-on-1 sort match, the tempo is extraordinarily quick and intense. With that stated, Unmatched has the video games set to a successful rating of 11 factors or 10 whole minutes in size.
There’s extra to the distinctive occasion. The match will function a 7-second shot clock. Per Unmatched, the next guidelines are added to the format.
If a participant makes their shot, they get the following possession (make-it, take-it).
There can be conventional scoring guidelines, a two (2)-point shot nonetheless counts for 2 (2) factors, and a 3 (3)-point shot counts for 3 (3) factors.
Chances are you’ll be questioning why POD A and POD D each have a first-round BYE. Per the league, the groups have been break up to distribute expertise. To not point out popcorn-worthy matchups.
There are Fan Votes this season
For the inaugural 1-on-1 match, this 12 months will function fan votes. What does this imply? This implies votes can be a deciding issue within the seedings. This states that followers will vote for gamers 1-8, which is able to decide the matchups from there.
It is a conventional playoff seed format. That means No. 1 will face No. 8 and so forth. Followers have till January 30 to February 2 to vote for the seeding.
How Can I watch Unmatched?
Unmatched will proceed to air season lengthy on TNT, truTV, and Max. Accessible internationally, the league streams on TNS+ in Canada and YouTube Dwell Internationally. By doing so, this will increase the expansion and visibility of the league.
The match will run from February 10 by February 11, with the primary spherical going down on February 10. Set to air on tru TV (2-4 p.m. ET) and TNT (7-9 p.m. ET), all video games will proceed to be televised.
It is necessary to notice the second spherical, and Quarterfinals will happen on February 11. 12 single elimination video games can be featured on truTV from 7-10 p.m. ET.
Set to happen on Valentines Day, the Finals will air on TNT and truTV from 7:30- 9 p.m. ET.
If followers want to buy tickets, pre-sale will start on January 29 to Unmatched e-newsletter subscribers. Tickets to the general public will formally go on sale on January 30.
Keep tuned for extra WNBA and Unmatched associated articles. Click on right here
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content material Creator, and Supervisor for Ballislife Bets. She has a give attention to the Ladies’s Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane at present resides within the Connecticut/NYC space together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma in Economics from the College of Connecticut
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