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Unrivaled Co-Founder Napheesa Collier Named League's First MVP

MVPhee.
Blake Silverman|
Collier of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Vandersloot of the Mist defends in the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league.
Collier of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Vandersloot of the Mist defends in the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier co-founded Unrivaled, the upstart 3v3 women's basketball league, with New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart. As Unrivaled's inaugural season reaches its close, Collier was named the league's first MVP.

She also won the league's first 1-on-1 tournament, which netted a $200,000 cash prize. After the win, she generously gifted half of her winnings to staffers who support her Unrivaled team, the Lunar Owls.

Collier led Unrivaled in scoring during the league's first season, averaging 25.7 points over 14 regular-season games. She averaged 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, two blocks and 1.4 steals per game, too.

“I couldn’t do any of this without my teammates," she said in a statement via Unrivaled. "This has been such an incredible season and everyone played a part in our success, from the coaches and training staff to the staff behind the scenes. I’m so proud of this club and am honored to be the first-ever Unrivaled MVP.”

Her Lunar Owls team ran away from the pack during the regular season, finishing with a league-best 13-1 record. The Lunar Owls play the four-seeded Vinyl in Unrivaled's semifinals on Sunday night. With a win, they would advance to the finals with a shot to bring home the inaugural title.

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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.

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