Paige Bueckers Selected No. 1 in Unrivaled Draft
The Unrivaled season kicks off January 5, with some games played in Philadelphia on January 1. Paige Bueckers was chosen first overall by The Breeze in Wednesday’s draft, marking the second time she went No. 1 this year.
New Teams and Draft Structure
The Breeze is one of two new teams in this 3-on-3 winter league based in Miami. The other new team, The Hive, picked second and selected Kelsey Mitchell.
Players were divided into six pods by position—guards, wings, and forwards—and the draft consisted of six rounds with eight teams selecting alternately.
Team Rosters Following the Draft
The Breeze Roster
- Paige Bueckers
- Rickea Jackson
- Dominique Malonga
- Aari McDonald
- Kate Martin
- Cameron Brink
The Hive Roster
- Kelsey Mitchell
- Sonia Citron
- Ezi Magbegor
- Natisha Hiedeman
- Saniya Rivers
- Monique Billings
Protection Rules and Returning Players
The four playoff teams from last season—Rose, Lunar Owls, Vinyl, and Laces—were allowed to protect two players each from the draft. The Phantom and Mist, who missed the playoffs, each protected one player.
The defending champion Rose will feature returning stars including Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Azura Stevens, Shakira Austin, and Sug Sutton.
The Lunar Owls roster includes Marina Mabrey, Aaliyah Edwards, Rebecca Allen, alongside co-founder Napheesa Collier and Skylar Diggins.
"The Breeze is one of two new clubs for the 3-on-3 league that plays in Miami in the winter."
"The league let the four playoff teams from last season protect two players from their rosters who couldn't be drafted by one of the expansion teams."
Author’s summary: Paige Bueckers leads the newly expanded Unrivaled league as No. 1 pick, with fresh teams and a roster-protection system shaping a competitive season starting January 2025.