Lesbian Sports, News for Queer Women

Unrivaled Is Back (And Very Gay)

November 6, 2025
Natasha Cloud

The off-season three-on-three basketball league is back for its second season and we couldn’t be happier.

Featured Image: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

If it feels like forever since the Las Vegas Aces lifted the WNBA Championship trophy in early October and the postseason depression has started to set in, then boy, do I have good news for you. Unrivaled is back. The iconic three-on-three basketball league started by stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart is set to tip off on January 5. With new teams and a stacked league of stars, this season promises to be fun and, perhaps more importantly, very gay.

Here is a breakdown of the queer WNBA royalty that will be stepping onto the court this season.

Breeze

Via Unrivaled Instagram

As one of the two new expansion teams in the budding league, Breeze got the first draft pick and drafted, you guessed it, the iconic Paige Bueckers. While donning the purple jersey (Purple Paige Purple!) for Unrivaled will take her away from the UCONN stands, we can’t wait to see what the Rookie of the Year brings to the league.

Also on the Breeze is another queer WNBA star, Kate Martin. After a standout season on the Golden State Valkyries, Martin will be an undeniable star for her new team. A Bueckers and Martin duo is just about the gayest thing to happen to this league. Who knows what the power of two masc blondes will unlock?

Bueckers and Martin will be joined by Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, Aari McDonald, and Cameron Brink. With a roster full of players with the most powerful fandoms, Team Youngins has already got our attention.

Hive

Via Unrivaled Instagram

This team might just be perfectly curated for queer WNBA fans who spend a little too much time on TikTok. Both Natisha Hiedeman and Saniya Rivers will don yellow Hive jerseys this season. Hiedeman’s StudBudz streams with Lynx teammate Courtney Williams were one of the highlights of the WNBA season. From her song going viral on WNBA Twitter to those Satou Sabley pictures, Hiedeman has certainly been busy in the off-season.

As for Saniya Rivers, queer fans ate up her alleged fling with teammate Marina Mabrey all season long. The two Connecticut Sun players made endless content and seemed to play into the romance rumors being spread about them. However, in the off-season, the shenanigans seemed to come to a screeching halt in October when Rivers responded to a TikTok comment and said that Mabrey was single. This damn sport cannot escape the messiness.

Hiedeman and Rivers will be joined by Kelsey Mitchell, Sonia Citron, Ezi Magbegor, and Monique Billings. We can’t wait to see what chaos this team causes.

Lunar Owls

Via Unrivaled Instagram

This is a team dedicated to the straights. With power straight and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier at the helm, the Lunar Owls have no confirmed queer players. While Marina Mabrey certainly has some gay allegations, she has never confirmed her identity. Also unconfirmed is Rebecca Allen, who previously had relationship rumors with Valencia teammate Alba Torrens.

Rounding out the roster are Skylar Diggins, Rachel Banham, and Aaliyah Edwards. With crash-out-prone Mabrey and Diggins on one team, we are bound for an entertaining Owls season.

Mist

Via Unrivaled Instagram

What is that through the mist? Is that the Dallas Wings? Nope, it’s just the newly drafted Mist team. Led by iconic queer superstar and Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart, this team has picked up two Wings players, a player who recently came out as straight, a player with a swirl of gay allegations, and a goggle-wearing icon.

Queer and coming straight off a losing Wings season, Arike Ogunbowale will surely bring something to this team—but we can’t promise it will be good. Ogunbowale faced a lot of scrutiny for her playing throughout the Wings’ season, and I don’t see the hate letting up anytime soon. Li Yueru will join Ogunbowale in this mini Wings reunion.

Alanna Smith, who recently came out as straight, will make her Unrivaled debut this season. Veronica Burton, Unrivaled rookie, has faced a fair amount of dating rumors—having been linked to Washington Mystics forward Emily Engstler (who will be in Unrivaled’s 2026 Development Pool) and now Valkyries teammate Kate Martin. However, Burton has yet to confirm her identity. The Mist’s roster is completed by Allisha Gray. We all hope these Wings players don’t bring their cursed season to the Mist.

Rose

Via Unrivaled Instagram

The reigning champs are coming back to the court queer as ever. With Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, and Sug Sutton, this team is officially 50% queer, and we can’t get enough. While the team will certainly be different without Angel Reese and Brittney Sykes, fans are hopeful that they can run it back to a second championship win.

Returning to the Roses are Indiana Fever’s Lexie Hull and Los Angeles Sparks’ Azurá Stevens. Let’s hope the champs don’t run into any thorns this season.

Laces

Via Unrivaled Instagram

Buckle up because we’re looking at a majority queer team! From the Roses is Brittney Sykes, and from the Vinyl is Jordin Canada. Laces vet Alyssa Thomas, who made queer hearts swoon when reunited with DeWanna Bonner following Bonner’s trade to Phoenix Mercury, is back to lead the team. Jackie Young, who is less outspokenly queer, is also returning to the Laces.

Related: Potential WNBA Signing To Reunite Fiancées DeWanna Bonner And Alyssa Thomas

Also lacing up this season are token straights Naz Hillmon and the newly married Maddy Siegrist.

Phantom

Via Unrivaled Instagram

The only spooky thing about this team is how straight it is. Natasha Cloud, a standout player from the New York Liberty, is the sole queer player on this roster. Yes, Satou Sabally will also play for Phantom, but her identity has yet to truly be confirmed despite all of the Natisha Hiedeman chatter.

Also playing for Phantom is Kelsey Plum (famously straight), Aliyah Boston, Dana Evans, and Kiki Iriafen. Without Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Marina Mabrey, what we’re really wondering is if the Phantoms TikTok content will be half as good.

Vinyl

Via Unrivaled Instagram

The final team playing this year is possibly the most stacked team of the season. Returning to Vinyl are Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, and Rae Burrell (who has been linked to Emily Englster but has yet to confirm identity). Joining the Vinyl on the floor are queer players Courtney Williams (have you seen her newly bald head?), Erica Wheeler, and Brittney Griner.

We can’t wait to see what these new queer additions do for Vinyl BC.

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