Win or Go Home: Breaking Down the 2026 Unrivaled Playoffs
MIAMI (Feb. 28, 2026) — The First Round of the 2026 Unrivaled Playoffs sponsored by Samsung tips off Saturday night at Sephora Arena with two win-or-go-home matchups. Six clubs will compete in an expanded single-elimination format for a championship and a significantly increased player prize pool of $600,000.
Rose BC was crowned the league’s inaugural Champion in 2025, defeating Vinyl BC 62-54. Chelsea Gray was named the first-ever Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points and 6.0 assists between the Semifinals and Championship.
For the first time in Unrivaled history, the playoffs will span multiple cities. Saturday’s winners in Miami will advance to Monday’s semifinals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where the top two seeds await.
Who’s In
The top six out of Unrivaled’s eight clubs earned postseason berths.
- Phantom (11-3)
- Mist (10-4)
- Laces (10-4)
- Rose (6-8)
- Breeze (6-8)
- Vinyl (5-9)
Phantom and Mist, the top two seeds, have earned first-round byes and guaranteed spots in Brooklyn. The Phantom will face the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals, while the Mist will play the highest remaining seed.
Phantom BC
The Phantom ended the regular season on a league-best seven-game win streak, highlighted by a 72-68 victory over Rose BC in their regular season finale. Kelsey Plum and Aliyah Boston fueled the club throughout the season as Plum averaged 22.6 points while Boston posted 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per contest.
“This is one game, right? So you leave it all out on the court. We know we're gonna get everyone's best shot,” said Kelsey Plum about heading into the playoffs. “Not sure who we're gonna play, but we know that regardless, this league is so tough, and everyone's coming to play. We got 100K on the line, so, you know, I think it's even raised even more. But just super excited about the opportunity to be in New York, and, love the fans there. So, yeah, it should be a good one.”
Mist BC
The Mist are riding a four-game regular season win streak into the playoffs, capped by a 72-62 victory over the Vinyl on Friday to secure the No. 2 seed.
The club finished the regular season with the league’s top offense, averaging 77.7 points per game. Allisha Gray led the Mist in scoring, averaging 21.8 points, followed closely by Breanna Stewart at 21.4.
Alanna Smith scored a career-high 18 points in Friday’s regular-season finale win over Vinyl and highlighted the Mist’s focus heading into the playoffs.
“We just have a lot of trust in each other,” Smith said. “Our goal is a championship, and that has been the goal from the very beginning.”
First Round Matchups
#3 Laces BC vs. #6 Vinyl BC: Saturday, Feb. 28, 8:30 p.m. ET
The Laces and Vinyl split their regular-season series 1-1. The Laces took the opener on Jan. 5, 58-42, led by 19 points from Brittney Sykes. Vinyl won the second matchup, on Feb. 3, 70-63, behind 20 points from Rae Burrell.
Burrell enters the postseason in strong form, having averaged 25.6 points in her last three games. Sykes led the Laces in scoring during the regular season, putting up 20.3 points per game.
Vinyl BC head coach Teresa Weatherspoon is embracing the playoff challenge.
“This is what you live for,” Weatherspoon said. “We know what playoffs are all about. It’s a challenge–live for the challenge, live for the atmosphere, and just be us.”
#4 Breeze BC vs. #5 Rose BC: Saturday, Feb. 28, 9:45 p.m. ET
The Breeze will face the defending champs in its first playoff game in club history. The two clubs split their regular-season series 1-1.
The Rose won the first matchup on Jan. 11, 73-69, behind 37 points from Chelsea Gray, while the Breeze responded with a 81-56 victory on Feb. 1 as Paige Bueckers put up 32 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Gray finished the regular season as the league’s second-leading scorer averaging 24.2 points per game, and also led the league in assists at 6.1 per game. Bueckers ranked fourth in scoring at 22.1 points and second in assists with 5.5.
As Unrivaled’s youngest club, Breeze BC head coach Noelle Quinn is eager for her players to gain postseason experience against Rose’s veteran core.
“I think this is a great challenge for our young group to step up in a situation like this,” Quinn said. “A playoff environment in which we’re playing a veteran team—I’m excited for this group to get a taste of that together.”
Playoff Schedule
First Round: Saturday, Feb. 28, at Sephora Arena in Miami. Laces BC vs. Vinyl BC at 8:30 p.m. ET followed by Rose BC vs. Breeze BC at 9:45 p.m. ET. Both games will air on truTV and HBO Max.
Semifinals: Monday, Mar. 4, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. ET and 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
Championship: Wednesday, Mar. 6, at Sephora Arena in Miami, 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.