Breanna Stewart Breaks Silence on Embarrassing Loss As Liberty Star Still Got A Shot to Claim $10K

The first round 1v1 Unrivaled tournament has ended. With 30 top-tier athletes showcasing their skills in intense head-to-head matchups, fans were treated to eight thrilling games. Some outcomes were par for the course, while others turned the tournament on its head with shocking upsets. One of the league’s founders, Napheesa Collier, is cruising into the second round on Tuesday, but things didn’t go as planned for another founder, Breanna Stewart.

With 23 of Unrivaled’s 36 players in action, fans got to witness some of the best plays. But the most shocking moment of the night came when Stewie got completely shut down by her Mist teammate Aaliyah Edwards. The final score was 12-0. Yes, ZERO from Stewart. 

No one saw this coming. Stewart entered as the No.1 seed, and predictions heavily favored her. But Edwards had other plans. In just 117 seconds—less than two minutes—she made history. NY Liberty star couldn’t get a single point on the board. It was brutal.

After the game, Stewie took to Twitter, shouting out her teammate: “Tough night for me but shoutout to my Mistie @AaliyahEdwards_!!! Keep that thing going and go get that bag 💰!!” And speaking of that bag, Stewie will still get a piece of it.

The 1-on-1 tournament has a massive $350,000 prize pool, with $200,000 going to the champion. On top of that, the winning player’s teammates will receive $10,000, while the runner-up pockets $50,000, and the semi-finalists earn $25,000. 

So, Edwards is still in the race heading into the second round—and with the way she played against Stewart, the Mist might just see some of that prize money coming their way.

The 22-year-old started by draining a corner three. Then she hit a smooth jumper from the elbow. Before you could even process what was happening, she had a 5-0 lead. Also, she was relentless on defense, blocking Stewart’s layup attempt. All in all, she is currently in her best form.

But despite it all, fan calls for change continue to mount on Unrivaled.

Science theory in a basketball tournament? Breanna Stewart’s defeat sparks debate

Along with Edwards, others advancing to the second round include Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Shakira Austin, Rickea Jackson and Skylar Diggins-Smith. 

And the last game of the night had all the drama, but fans still had some complaints. And then, a national reporter, Chrystal Stone, made an interesting comparison. She called Unrivaled a “survival of the fittest” battle, drawing parallels to Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. 

And she’s got a point. Unrivaled is as much a test of mental toughness as it is basketball skill. The single-elimination format (except for the best-of-three finals) means every game is do-or-die. Add in the seven-second shot clock and the “make-it, take-it” rule, and players are forced to strategize on the fly under immense pressure.

But things get controversial with the foul rules. At Unrivaled, a foul on a shot is worth the same as the attempt. So, if you get fouled on a three, you get three points at the line. 

Players also have unlimited fouls, though consecutive non-shooting fouls award a point to the opponent. And fans are not loving it. Moreover, it’s not the first time calls for change have surfaced.

So, will Unrivaled tweak its rules? Well, we’ll find out next season. But in the meantime, we can’t wait for Tuesday’s second round and see who finally takes the big money home!