Unrivaled, a new professional league for women's 3-on-3 basketball, is scheduled to begin on Friday, and the basketball community is eager to watch 36 of the world's best teams compete. WNBA Players compete and the list includes Brianna Stewart, Nafeesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, and Brittney Greiner.
Most of the roster is made up of All-Stars and multiple Olympians, decorated players at the peak of their careers, as well as less accomplished players with great potential. There are also several people.
Incomparable Chairman Alex Buzzell told SB Nation that one presence stood out surprisingly throughout the first week of preseason activities: Los Angeles Sparks forward Ray Burrell.
“Ray Burrell kind of fell off the charts early on,” Buzzell said. “It's not that she's not a great player in the WNBA as well. That's why she's here. We targeted the best of the best. But this game is about her versatility, I think it’s more built for length and skill level.”
Burrell, drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the ninth pick in the 2022 draft, was a solid bench player in his first three seasons. She came off the bench for the Sparks last season, averaging 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes. In college, Burrell was one of Tennessee's top players, averaging 10.3 points and shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range.
But while Burrell has shown glimpses of potential, he scored in double figures just six times last season. So far, through the early days of Unrivaled, she has surpassed that work.
“She always has conversations in the coaches' room like, 'Wow, I didn't expect her to be this impactful so early,' because she's a pretty young player,” Buzzell said of the 24-year-old. He talked about the players.
Burrell is a member of the Vinyl Club, along with Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings), Ryne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Jordan Canada (Atlanta Dream), Dearika There's also a Humvee (Sparks). The team is coached by WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon, who most recently served as head coach of the Chicago Sky, but was fired after her first season.
3-on-3 full court is a unique concept and has never been specialized in this way. So it's entirely possible that some players will develop disproportionately in this environment more than they have in the WNBA to date.
“Some players feel like this game was made for them. Space, pace, three-on-three versatility are really important,” Buzzell said. “The WNBA is a very physical game. So what you're looking at here is you don't have to be the strongest player, you don't have to be the biggest player, but you have to be versatile. I think there are a lot of guys who are faster, who can handle, who can shoot, who can guard that I think will really stand out in this league more than in other leagues.”
barrel speak with pull-up On her podcast last month, she said she had played 3-on-3 full court before and loved it.
“It was actually really, really fun. It's just the space, everything and the downhills and that fast pace,” she said. “It's something I really enjoy and the type of play I like to play.”
For Episode 49 of Pull Up, check out Rae Burrell (@Raehoops) of the Los Angeles Sparks joined me and Owen to share their excitement for the upcoming Unrivaled season. In this clip below, she talks about her unique experience playing full-court 3-on-3 hoop. pic.twitter.com/mTIjJZsvD8
— Miles (@MylesEhrlich) December 19, 2024
And while the preseason content has been light-hearted, with players and competitors alike teaming up to create TikToks and social media reels, Buzzell said the first week has been fiercely competitive. emphasized.
“I think what people don't realize is how competitive this game is going to be,” he said. “You watch the preseason games and you see how seriously the club and the players take it, the players work on it. You see players on WNBA teams getting mad at each other just because they want to win.” I often see them.”
