Napheesa Collier Generously Gifts Six-Figure Prize to Staff After Winning One-on-One Tourney

The Unrivaled founder and star had an unprecedented gift for her team's staff.
Collier of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Vandersloot of the Mist defends during the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena.
Collier of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Vandersloot of the Mist defends during the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier is giving half of her prize money from winning the league's inaugural one-on-one tournament to staffers who support her Unrivaled team, the Lunar Owls.

According to a report from ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Collier is giving $100,000 to the training and performance staff and assistant coaches who work with the Lunar Owls. Collier won the inaugural Unrivaled one-on-one tournament last week when she ousted Aaliyah Edwards in a best-of-three series. As a one-seed in the tournament, she beat Katie Lou Samuelson, Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens on her way to the championship showdown with Edwards, a No. 8 seed who upset Breanna Stewart in the first round.

Collier's Lunar Owls teammates were taken care of, too, as each earned an extra $10,000 thanks to the tournament win. Edwards earned a $50,000 prize with her second-place finish.

According to Andrews's report, Collier wanted to make sure she found a way to show appreciation to the staff members pouring hard work into her startup league.

Unrivaled is now back to its regular season after the conclusion of the one-on-one tournament. Collier's undefeated Lunar Owls squad plays Rose Basketball Club on Friday night. The whole team, including the entire staff, will have some extra money in their pockets as they prepare for the final stretch of Unrivaled's first season.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.