Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 Tournament resumes tonight, beginning with eight second-round matchups that will be followed by four quarter-final showdowns. The excitement begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV.
After catching up on everything that happened in the first round, take look at out second-round predictions before sharing your prognostications in the comments.
Pod A
No. 1-seed Kelsey Mitchell vs. No. 5-seed Veronica Burton (7:30 p.m. ET)
Veronica Burton is not here to mess around. She blanked Courtney Williams in just over a minute of play because of her expert execution. She had
plan—use her physicality to drive to the basket—and it worked to perfection. Kelsey Mitchell demonstrated a similarly serious intention, as she was well prepared to exploit her speed advantage to drive past Rachel Banham for easy scores.
Who’s strategy will help them win this second-round matchup?
Although the lower seed, Burton has the edge as the superior defender. Even as she was cooking Banham, Mitchell danced with the ball a little too long on a couple of possessions, barely getting off her shot before the seven-second shot clock expired. Burton has the defensive tools to force Mitchell to dip deeper into her bag to try to get buckets, potentially pinning her against the short clock. Burton also can apply her power offensively to quickly get right to the rim, just as she did against Williams.
Prediction: Veronica Burton
No. 2-seed Kelsey Plum vs. No. 7-seed Natisha Hiedeman (7:45 p.m. ET)
Could we see a Stud Bud reversal of fortune, with Courtney’s aforementioned blanking by Burton balanced by T improbably upsetting Kelsey Plum? I’ll stick with KP and what I already projected about this matchup, which was originally scheduled for the first round. Hiedeman can get hot, but Plum has more avenues to the win, as she can score via pull-up 3s, stop-and-pops from the midrange, drives to the hoops and even post ups.
Prediction: Kelsey Plum
Pod B
No. 1-seed Paige Bueckers vs. No. 4-seed Arike Ogunbowale (8 p.m. ET)
Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale rivaled Burton for two of the most clinical first-round performances. Ogunbowale, particularly, impressed. She didn’t settle for 3s, instead getting to her spots in midrange and swishing them.
While Paige started off strong against Kate Martin, Martin’s physical defense did seem to bother her and wear her down. That’s a bigger concern against Arike, as Ogunbowale not only has the physicality edge, but knows how to maximize it. Add on Arike’s experience advantage, as she advanced to the semi-final stage last year, and she is primed to score the upset win in this Dallas Wings showdown.
Prediction: Arike Ogunbowale
No. 3-seed Jackie Young vs. No. 2-seed Chelsea Gray (8:15 p.m. ET)
Chelsea Gray’s first-round win proved why it’s not smart to doubt the Point Gawd.
Her combination of control and clutch is unmatched. In this matchup, she’ll add another advantage: close knowledge of Jackie Young’s game. Gray, renowned as one of the game’s smartest minds, will know how to exploit the weaknesses of her longtime Las Vegas Aces teammate. She’ll also know how to avoid getting exposed by Jackie’s strengths. The revenge factor also gives Gray the motivational edge. Eliminated in the first round last year, Chels surely wants a long 1-on-1 Tournament run on her Unrivaled resume.
Prediction: Chelsea Gray
Pod C
No. 1-seed Allisha Gray vs. No. 8-seed Saniya Rivers (9 p.m. ET)
After Allisha Gray’s bestie Rhyne Howard was upset in her first-round matchup against a young, unapologetic upstart, Lish should be even more mindful of the seriousness with which she must her approach the challenge Saniya Rivers will present.
And as I already noted about Gray, she’s motivated by the money. Lish should unleash the full breadth of her scoring bag, while also hounding Rivers defensively, to keep herself in contention for the $200K. Rivers, however, has the athleticism to make things uncomfortable for Gray. And if Niya’s jumper is going, things could get really interesting. Pod C might be the upset pod.
Prediction: Allisha Gray
No. 6-seed Sonia Citron vs. No. 7-seed Rae Burrell (9:15 p.m. ET)
It’s a face off between two of the more surprising first-round winners, both of whom prevailed because they did not quit when falling behind opponents perceived as superior.
Expect Rae Burrell to use every ounce of her athleticism and energy to bother Sonia Citron, requiring So-So to work hard to create the space necessary to get off 3-pointers or midrangers. Citron, however, will return the favor when she is defending Burrell. Throughout the entire Unrivaled season, Sweet Baby Rae has shown off her improved offensive polish, and she’ll need to shine at all three levels—taking 3s, rising for midrangers and driving to the rim—against Citron. Rae’s athletic advantages, combined with her still-underrated skill, can take her to the close win.
Prediction: Rae Burrell
Pod D
No. 1-seed Breanna Stewart vs. No. 4-seed Aliyah Boston (8:30 p.m. ET)
Breanna Stewart probably won’t have as much fun playing Aliyah Boston as she did playing Li Yueru, as Stewie smiled as she was sizing up Li for a drive and score in her first-round win. AB, in contrast, tends to inspire irritation rather than elation.
Will Boston’s strength or Stewie’s skill set the tone?
That’s not to say that Stewart will wilt when contending with the full force of Boston’s physicality. AB also possesses her own ever-increasing arsenal of offensive skills. However, if hacking, elbows and other extra curriculars are permitted, Boston could send Stewie home early again. But if Stewart has enough space to score from her preferred spots, her revenge tour will continue.
Prediction: Breanna Stewart
No. 2-seed Aaliyah Edwards vs. No. 6-seed Shakira Austin (8:45 p.m. ET)
Let’s get physical! Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin triumphed in two of the more physical first-round matchups. Now going head-to-head, this one could reach another level.
Edwards succeeded by bothering Dominique Malonga with aggressive defense, disrupting Dom’s dribble and forcing her into bad spots. The 6-foot-2 Edwards likewise can test the 6-foot-5 Austin’s handle, but Shakira likely will be more intentional about trying to power through Edwards and get to the hoop. Austin also will be eager to reciprocate that physicality when defending Edwards, in addition to using her length to make it difficult for Aaliyah to finish around the basket.
Edwards’ increasing comfort taking the 3 could be consequential in this one. But even if Edwards hits a 3 or two, Austin, who took a couple of 3s in her first-round win, shouldn’t be tempted by triples. Just go to the basket! If she sticks to that strategy, she’ll have another upset win.
Prediction: Shakira Austin
