Los Angeles Rams rookie Jared Verse let Philadelphia Eagles fans know exactly what he thinks of them ahead of their Sunday matchup.

‘I hate Eagles fans,’ Verse told The Los Angeles Times on Thursday. ‘They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.’

Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley believes the Rams’ talented rookie made a misstep in admitting that. Barkley was asked about Verse’s comments during a media availability Friday. The 2,000-yard rusher chuckled and suggested Verse may have poked the proverbial bear with his barb.

‘Probably not the smartest thing to say when you’re coming to Philadelphia,’ Barkley told reporters through a smile. ‘I’ve been on the other side (when he played for the New York Giants), and even if I felt some type of way, I probably wouldn’t give them any extra fuel. Pretty sure Philly fans have seen that comment, and it was only going to be loud and rocking and this is only going to add to it.’

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Barkley has a point, as NFL teams and fan bases have a habit of responding to bulletin-board material given to them by opponents. The Rams provided a recent example of this by using Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell’s ‘see you in two weeks’ hot-mic comment to Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell as motivational fuel in their 27-9 wild card win over the Vikings.

With that in mind, Philadelphians will likely respond accordingly to Verse’s insult and heckle him more vigorously than they did during the first meeting between the two teams in Week 12. Verse was given ‘an earful of obscenities’ during that contest, according to the Los Angeles Times.

‘I didn’t even do nothing to ’em,’ Verse said of the Eagles faithful. ‘It was my first time playing. Oh, I hate Eagles fans.’

Verse spent three seasons of his high school career in Pennsylvania, so he has had more exposure to Eagles fans than most. That’s part of the reason that he dislikes the team so much, even its color scheme.

‘When I see that green and white I hate it,’ Verse said. ‘I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot.’

Verse will need to channel that rage into production during the Eagles vs. Rams game on Sunday. Specifically, he will need to work hard to help contain Barkley, who racked up 302 scrimmage yards in their last meeting.

Meanwhile, Eagles fans will be focusing on getting into Verse’s head as the rookie looks to follow up his two-tackle postseason debut with a quality showing.

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He also had scored a goal in the ECHL and the American Hockey League.

Days after the Penguins waived Tristan Jarry, Nedeljkovic made 40 saves in the 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres. He assisted on Cody Glass’ goal that made it 3-1. Then with 2:42 left in regulation, he flipped the puck from behind his own goal, down the ice and into the Sabres’ empty net.

It marked the second goal by a Penguins netminder after Jarry scored on Nov. 30, 2023.

Rickard Rakell, Glass and Bryan Rust scored on the power play for the Penguins, who tallied three times in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit. Anthony Beauvillier also scored, Glass and Rust each had an assist and Matt Grzelcyk had two assists as Pittsburgh ended a three-game skid.

As sports parents, we often try and put our kids on an athletic path to realize their highest potential.

But, even if you’re a former goalkeeper for the USMNT and in Major League Soccer, you also want your child to experience different levels of competition and find the one where they are most comfortable.

“My 8-year-old daughter tried out,” Luis Robles says of a recent interaction with his local club team, “and I could tell in the email they were posturing: ‘She’s not ready for the A team so we’re gonna put on the B team, but she’s gonna get play a lot.’ ‘

“It’s like, ‘I don’t care. I just want her to play soccer.’ ”

For kids who are a little bit older, Major League Soccer announced last week it is creating a new competitive tier through its MLS NEXT Program with a similar line of thinking.

‘We’ve realized that there’s a real appetite to expand the access to MLS NEXT to more players, coaches, families and clubs across the landscape,’ says MLS NEXT general manager Kyle Albrecht.

What does this mean for your son or daughter? USA TODAY Sports asked Albrecht and Robles, MLS NEXT’s technical director.

How does MLS NEXT work?

It focuses on developing elite soccer players while providing clubs with top-level coaching, training and competition.

It has clubs in 34 states plus the District of Columbia.

Clubs agree to meet MLS technical and training standards and “safety and well being” standards to protect against physical and emotional abuse.

While MLS NEXT strives to develop players to compete on national teams, it’s second tier of competition opens up an opportunity for those who want to play at a high level but don’t necessarily view that goal as realistic.

Can boys and girls play MLS NEXT?

MLS NEXT is a boys competition but member clubs can invite girls to play on their teams. USWNT players Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, for example, played on an Under-19 MLS NEXT team.

MLS NEXT also announced in December it had formed an alliance with the Girls Academy. Albrecht, the MLS NEXT GM, said the organizations will work together on technical standards and team opportunities.

According to MLS, the Girls Academy has 114 clubs and more than 16,000 players (including 48 clubs that have a boys team in MLS NEXT) from the U13 to U19 age groups. 

What type of athletes is MLS NEXT looking at for its second tier?

Are they kids who have Division I or national team aspirations or is MLS trying to open itself up to as many kids as possible?

“It’s both,” Robles says, “because our objective from a player development strategy in Major League Soccer is to develop the next generation of talent that will affect the pro game, and the pro game includes Major League Soccer, it includes national teams.

“But within that object is another sub tier of ‘how does that play itself out?’ We saw an opportunity to deepen the player pool, to give more families that experience. … So it is the aspirational athlete, but it’s also just the athlete that wants to continue to play soccer with their friends. So it is a combination of everyone.”

There are 29 MLS academies and 122 elite academies within the 151 clubs that make up MLS NEXT. The league operators once a tier below MLS NEXT will now operate the new tier of competition.

Do players in Tier 2 get the same benefits as players in Tier 1?

Tier 2 will allow clubs that are affiliated with MLS NEXT to play their second-level clubs (often referred to as “B” teams) under the MLS umbrella. They will have MLS NEXT standards and guidelines and best practices from a technical perspective.

Tier 2 will play more regionally than Tier 1 teams but have an opportunity to attend MLS NEXT Fest and qualify for MLS NEXT Cup.

What are the coaching standards for both tiers? Are parent coaches involved?

All MLS NEXT coaches have access to training in MLS environments. Some get an opportunity to acquire an EFCL (Elite Formation Coaching License), through Fred Lipka, MLS’s vice president and technical director of player development.

“There’s a license standard, but we also create considerations, because we want aspiring coaches to be a part of this, and just have to show there’s progress towards getting the top license as possible,” Robles says.  

“For the most part, it would be non-parent coaches,” he says. “I know a lot of these coaches have a kid, but what’s different is their passion for coaching goes beyond just their kid, and so even if that kid graduates, they’re still coaching.”

Coach Steve: Coaching your kid in youth sports? When should you stop?

Will more players now make national teams that are not MLS Academy players?

Like the MLS academy and elite academy teams, the Tier 2 teams will have a chance to compete at MLS NEXT Fest (at the U15 through U19 age groups) and the MLS NEXT Cup (should they qualify through one of eight regional tournaments) and have the same opportunity to be seen at those events.

“Between MLS NEXT Cup, which was this past June, and Fest in December, we had over 1,000 scouts between college coaches and national team scouts on site,” Albrecht says.

According to Albrecht, more than 90% of U.S. youth national teams are coming from MLS NEXT clubs.

Tier 2 players will be eligible to play high school soccer. Is MLS encouraging kids to play high school soccer?

“I would stop short of encourage; it’s just allowed,” Robles says. “I think what we encourage is them to identify the best environment possible for them to develop. And what we’ve identified as what would be the best environment is, where are the best coaches?’

MLS NEXT players agree to forgo participating simultaneously in both MLS NEXT and high school soccer, according to an MLS spokesperson, though clubs can submit a high school waiver. If approved, it allows them to play high school soccer.

‘What we’ve identified as optimal is if they can stay in the highest level possible for as long as possible,’ Robles says. ‘And the standard really is an MLS Academy, and you can only give that to X amount of kids. And so if we can create an extension, which is the elite academy, and now they have a 10-month season where they’re in the same environment with the same coach and the same competition, we do think that is optimal for player development, but we want to create flexibility.

“There’s different ways for players to develop, and they’ll choose what’s best for them.”

Will kids that play high school soccer in the new tier run into trap-year issues?

A so-called “trapped” player is an eighth-grader who plays on a U15 team, which is usually comprised of ninth-graders.

In 2017, U.S. Soccer changed its age eligibility for team rosters from school year (Aug. 1-July 31) to birth year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31), a topic that has been hotly debated across youth leagues.

“I think school year is really important for social development in the early stages,” Robles says. “Let’s call it before pre-professional; it’s just playing soccer, right? You want to be with your friends.

“Once you enter into the stage of what is pre-professional, then you sort of want to align with what’s gonna give you the most opportunity.”

MLS NEXT determines a player’s team based on their individual situation.

“If the club thinks the player should play up, the player plays up,” Robles says.

Cost is a major issue with parents and with club teams. How is MLS NEXT able to control cost?

If you’re part of the club team culture, you know costs can fluctuate wildly, from several hundred dollars at young ages to $10,000 to $20,000 (or more) for teenagers when you factor in all of your expenses.

Coach Steve: Is it worth it? 10 questions athletes should consider if they play on a travel team

Fees vary for each MLS NEXT club but an idea behind the new tier is for participating teams to play more locally and regionally against strong competition instead of traveling farther away (and paying more) to find it.

“If you qualify for (MLS NEXT) Cup, then absolutely, that’s something that you participate in, but even through the schedule and the events, (cost) is taken into consideration,” Robles says.

If your child joins MLS GO (MLS’s recreation program for ages 4-14), does that put them on a pathway to get into MLS NEXT later on?

Albrecht says MLS and its clubs have spent more than $100 million annually in the player development space, investing in areas such as facilities, coaches and talent identification.

But how early does that identification start? From the beginning, they think about the player experience.

“We’re not trying to create world-class players from the time of five or six years old,” Robles says. “The idea is for them to enjoy (MLS GO) so they keep playing. If they keep playing, then maybe within their club, they’re able to find another opportunity. But the key part is that they keep playing.”

He goes back to his daughter as an example.

“I don’t care what team she’s on, because if she loves it and she’s having fun, she’ll keep playing,” he says. “And if she keeps playing and she wants to get better, then she’s gonna seek it out herself. That’s all we care about.’

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s suspension is over.

The conundrum between Butler and the Heat remains as the Heat figure out what to do with Butler, who the Heat say, asked for a trade ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

On Jan. 3, the Heat suspended Butler seven games for “for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.’

‘Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers,” the team said in a news release.

That statement came a week after Miami Heat president Pat Riley said, “We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear – We are not trading Jimmy Butler.”

A trade seems more likely than not at this point. The Heat play Denver Friday night, and with Butler’s suspension over, where do the Heat go from here?

Is Jimmy Butler playing tonight?

Butler was not listed on the injury report and was in the starting lineup Friday against the Nuggets. In Miami’s 133-113 loss, Butler had 18 points, on 7-for-15 shooting, three rebounds and two assists. The Heat play San Antonio at home Sunday.

Jimmy Butler trade rumors: Talks intensify

The Heat have taken calls and listened to offers but haven’t found the right deal. However, with the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaching, the intensity of talks has begun to increase, a person familiar with discussions told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about trade talks.

The Heat don’t like the distraction, and both sides – headstrong as Riley and Butler both are – would like a fresh start without the other.

Who will trade for Jimmy Butler?

The Phoenix Suns are rumored to be one team interested in Butler, but that involves the Heat taking Bradley Beal and the two seasons and $110.7 million remaining on Beal’s contract. Plus, Beal has a no-trade clause in his contract. The Suns would be willing to give Butler another financially significant contract.

The Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings are other teams to watch in the Butler sweepstakes.

Jimmy Butler stats

In 22 games, Butler averages 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals and shoots 55.2% from the field, 37.5% on 3-pointers and 78.8% on free throws. That’s solid offensive efficiency. However, it is a reduced offensive role as Butler is averaging his fewest points and taking his fewest field goal attempts since 2013-14. Butler is not enamored with his usage.

Jimmy Butler contract

Butler is under contract through 2025-26 and is owed $52.4 million next season. However, Butler has a player option on next season and can become a free agent in the summer.

Is it possible the Heat don’t trade Jimmy Butler before the deadline?

There is the idea that Miami doesn’t trade Butler if it doesn’t find the right deal. That option comes with a risk, too. Butler could decide to play out the final year of the contract and make the Heat pay him – and make an uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable. The Heat don’t want that.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Some of the biggest names in women’s basketball were back in action – not with the WNBA or international teams – but in a brand new league.

Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league created by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, tipped off Friday night with a doubleheader that pitted the founders against each other in the first game.

On a night filled with first-evers, Collier and the Lunar Owls rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Stewart and the Mist, with Skylar Diggins-Smith hitting the game-winning shot. Collier had 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Stewart had six points and 14 rebounds.

Rhyne Howard led the Vinyl to a victory over Angel Reese and the Rose in the second game. Dearica Hamby, who played 3-on-3 for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, collected the final bucket to seal the win.

For its inaugural season, Unrivaled features six teams, consisting of 36 of the top women’s basketball players in the world. Games will be played on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays with the playoffs beginning March 16. TNT and TruTV are broadcasting all games.

USA TODAY Sports had coverage both games of Friday’s doubleheader. See below for a full recap of the action.

Final: Vinyl 79, Rose 73

The Vinyl held off the Rose for a victory in the second game of the Unrivaled League’s doubleheader on Friday night. Dearica Hamby scored the winning basket off an assist from Arike Ogunbowale.

The Vinyl’s Rhyne Howard finished with a game-high 33 points after shooting six-of-12 from the 3-point line. Hamby had 15 points and collected 11 of her 13 rebounds on defense. 

‘I just got to approach every game like I’m the best player on the court, and I think I showed that today,’ Howard said.

Kahleah Copper had 24 points in the loss for the Rose, while Chelsea Gray added 21 points and nine rebounds.

What are the Unrivaled League’s fourth-quarter rules?

The Unrivaled League had its first game between the Mist and the Lunar Owls finish with a dramatic ending Friday evening, providing a good example of what fans should expect this season.

While the first three quarters are seven-minute periods, the league follows the Elam Ending rules format in the fourth quarter, where the game concludes with an untimed period.

A target score is set by adding 11 points to the leading team’s score at the end of the third quarter. The first team to reach the target score wins. In this case, the Mist led 73-67 at the end of the third, so 11 points were added to the Mist score, giving a target of 84.

‘We have the best players in the world and we want to do it justice,’ Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls said. ‘We want to expose everyone’s talents and put those on display and to have a format where every game is going to be engaging. And so I think this was like a great first game for that. Just showing what we can do and showing what the experience can be like.’

End of third quarter: Vinyl 67, Rose 58

Rhyne Howard scored 11 points in the third quarter to lead the Vinyl with 27 total points entering the fourth quarter. Dearica Hamby contributed with 13 points and 12 rebounds against the Rose.

Kahleah Copper scored 18 points for the Rose while Angel Reese had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Brittany Sykes of the Vinyl hit the first half-court shot in the league’s history at the end of the third quarter. it’s like a 35-foot shot with the shortened court.

The target score to win the game is 78.

Halftime: Vinyl 39, Rose 38

Rhyne Howard scored 16 points for the Vinyl in the first half against the Rose. Dearica Hamby added eight points and eight rebounds. Kahleah Copper led the Rose with 14 points while Chelsea Gray added 10 points and six rebounds.

End of first quarter: Vinyl 23, Rose 15

Rhyne Howard had 13 points for the Vinyl in the first quarter while Dearica Hamby scored four points and collected four rebounds. Howard made two of her four three-point attempts.

Angel Reese had six points and three defensive rebounds for the Rose.

Game 2: Rose and Vinyl underway

The second game of tonight’s doubleheader is underway in Florida.

The Vinyl led the Rose 5-4 with 5:21 left in the first quarter. Angel Reese of the Rose scored her first layup in Unrivaled history, after a pump fake.

Angel Reese, Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper started the game for the Rose. Arike Ogunbowale, Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard started for the Vinyl.

Final: Lunar Owls 84, Mist 81

Skylar Diggins-Smith scored the game-winning three-pointer to give the Lunar Owls the victory over the Mist.

Diggins-Smith finished the game with 11 points and three rebounds.

‘That’s the thing about this game, you can come back at any time,’ a pumped-up Diggins-Smith said immediately after the victory. ‘I’m happy to get the first win in Unrivaled history.”

Napheesa Collier scored 25 points and collected nine of her 10 rebounds on defense for the Lunar Owls. Jewell Loyd scored a game-high 29 points for the Mist.

There was a lot of energy, with both the music and Diggins-Smith’s game-winner pumping up the crowd. Diggins-Smith compared this inaugural game to a high school state championship.

End of third quarter: Mist 73, Lunar Owls 67

The Lunar Owls had four players with 10 points, including Napheesa Collier. Collier has 25 points and 10 rebounds while Courtney Williams has 14 points and seven defensive rebounds. Jewell Loyd scored 29 points for the Mist.

The first team to 84 points during the untimed fourth quarter will win the game.

Napheesa Collier records first double-double

League co-founder Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls produced the first double-double during the third quarter of Unrivaled’s opening game. She currently has 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Mist lead the Lunar Owls 56-54.

Halftime: Mist 46, Lunar Owls 44

Jewell Loyd and the Mist remain in front of the Lunar Owls after the first half of play. Loyd led all players with 23 points, while Aaliyah Edwards scored eight points while collecting seven rebounds.

Napheesa Collier has 15 points and seven rebounds for the Lunar Owls. Courtney Williams has 10 points and six defensive rebounds.

There were a combined 75 shots taken in the first half.

Unrivaled referees don Sephora logo

Every person on the court is included when it comes to marketing and branding opportunities during Unrivaled games.

The referees during the opening game of the season were spotted with the Sephora logo on various spots of their shirts.

The players also have an Ally logo located at the bottom of their respective jerseys.

Kobe Bryant’s impact on Unrivaled

Kobe Bryant, a longtime player for the Los Angeles Lakers, continues to have an impact on the game of basketball.

Aaliyah Edwards of the Mist is wearing purple and yellow braids in honor of Bryant. Teammate Jewell Loyd is referred to as the Gold Mamba, a nickname Bryant gave her.

Phil Handy, a former Lakers assistant coach who worked with Kobe Bryant from 2011 to 2013, is the head coach for the Mist.

Bryant was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash in 2020.

End of first quarter: Mist 20, Lunar Owls 19

Mist’s Breanna Stewart was credited with the first assist. Skylar Diggins-Smith recorded the first rebound in the league’s history while on defense for the Lunar Owls.

Jewell Loyd scored a game-high eight points for the Mist in the first quarter while teammate Aaliyah Edwards added six.

Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams had four points each for the Lunar Owls.

Unrivaled tips off: Mist BC vs. Lunar Owls BC

The first game of Unrivaled, the new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league has tipped off with Mist BC taking on Lunar Owls BC. Breanna Stewart, one of the league’s founders, has the distinction of scoring the first points in Unrivaled history after Mist BC teammate Jewel Lloyd collects the opening tip.

When are the first Unrivaled basketball games?

The new Unrivaled women’s basketball league debuts Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET. There are two games scheduled for opening night, preceded by a pre-game show and followed by postgame analysis.

Mist BC vs. Lunar Owls BC: 7:15 p.m. ET
Rose BC vs. Vinyl BC: 8:15 p.m. ET

Unrivaled TV channel: How to watch tonight’s games

TV channel: TNT (TruTV)

TNT will broadcast Friday night’s Unrivaled basketball games. Play-by-play announcer Brendan Glasheen and analysts Lisa Leslie and Sarah Kustok will provide game commentary throughout Unrivaled’s inaugural season, joined by a rotation of reporters including Taylor Rooks, Allie LaForce, Stephanie Ready and Ros Gold-Onwude.

TNT’s studio coverage will be anchored by three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP Candace Parker, former WNBA All-Star Renee Montgomery and host Lauren Jbara.

Unrivaled live stream: How to stream games

All Unrivaled basketball games can be live streamed on Max. Fans can also stream games on Sling.

Watch Unrivaled basketball games on Sling

Who is playing on Unrivaled opening night?

Game 1: Mist BC vs. Lunar Owls BC

Mist BC roster: Breanna Stewart (captain), Jewell Loyd, Courtney Vandersloot, DiJonai Carrington, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards.
Lunar Owls BC roster: Napheesa Collier (captain), Skylar Diggins-Smith, Courtney Williams, Allisha Gray, Shakira Austin, Cameron Brink (Note: Brink is practicing with the team but will be unable to play due to injury).

Game 2: Rose BC vs. Vinyl BC

Vinyl BC roster: Arike Ogunbowale (captain), Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard, Rae Burrell, Aliyah Boston, Dearica Hamby.
Rose BC roster: Chelsea Gray (captain), Brittney Sykes, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azurá Stevens.

What is Unrivaled? New women’s basketball league explained

Unrivaled is the latest push to drive more attention towards women’s basketball, particularly during the WNBA offseason. The league, founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, will operate in a three-on-three format, with the 2025 season taking place in the Miami area.

Some of the biggest names in the WNBA were sorted among the 36 players and six teams that will compete in this first season, with play beginning on Friday, Jan. 17 and running through the league final on Monday, March 17.

According to a league press release, ‘Unrivaled is player-owned, offering participating players in its inaugural season equity opportunities for a vested interest in the league’s success – in addition to the highest salaries in professional women’s sports league history.’ — Jason Anderson

Basketball Hall of Famer in the house

Steve Nash, a two-time MVP and an eight-time NBA All-Star, was on hand to take in the debut of Unrivaled.

Is Caitlin Clark playing in the Unrivaled season?

WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark would be an obvious inclusion to kickstart a new basketball league. The Indiana Fever guard took her shooting prowess to the next level and dominated to the tune of 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game through her rookie season.

However, as was reported in November, she will not suit up for Unrivaled’s inaugural season. The 22-year-old is coming off a busy 2024 that saw the star take the Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA women’s basketball championship against South Carolina. She then became the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, putting together a season that earned her Rookie of the Year honors.

Where will Unrivaled basketball games be played?

Unrivaled’s first season will take place just outside of Miami at a custom-built venue in Medley, Florida, assembled by the league and its production partner, Mediapro. The venue has a capacity of 850.

Unrivaled: Format, rules for women’s basketball league

Unlike FIBA or Olympic three-on-three basketball, Unrivaled will play on a full court, with baskets at each end. Owing to the lower number of players on the floor at any given time, the playing surface will be 70′-by-50′ (as compared to the 94′-by-50′ size used in the WNBA). Games will be played in four seven-minute quarters.

Each team will play 14 games, with the top four teams at the end of the regular season advancing to one-game semifinals. The winners of those games will move on to a one-game final set for Monday, March 17. — Jason Anderson

Unrivaled 2025 teams and rosters

Laces BC

Jackie Young
Tiffany Hayes
Kayla McBride
Kate Martin
Alyssa Thomas (capt.)
Stefanie Dolson
Coach: Andrew Wade

Lunar Owls BC

Skylar Diggins-Smith
Courtney Williams
Allisha Gray
Cameron Brink (note: Brink is practicing with the team but will be unable to play due to injury)
Napheesa Collier (capt.)
Shakira Austin
Coach: DJ Sackman

Mist BC

Jewell Loyd
Courtney Vandersloot
DiJonai Carrington
Rickea Jackson
Breanna Stewart (capt.)
Aaliyah Edwards
Coach: Phil Handy

Phantom BC

Sabrina Ionescu
Natasha Cloud
Marina Mabrey
Katie Lou Samuelson
Satou Sabally (capt.)
Brittney Griner
Coach: Adam Harrington

Rose BC

Chelsea Gray (capt.)
Brittney Sykes
Kahleah Copper
Lexie Hull
Angel Reese
Azurá Stevens
Coach: Nola Henry

Vinyl BC

Arike Ogunbowale (capt.)
Jordin Canada
Rhyne Howard
Rae Burrell
Aliyah Boston
Dearica Hamby
Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon

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