Napheesa Collier is officially the 1v1 champion of Unrivaled’s inaugural season! And well, not exactly a shocker, but this entire tournament has been full of surprises, and must-watch moments. Predicted winners got knocked out early, unexpected stars emerged, and refs got more screen time than they probably should have. But at the end of the day, every single player walked away with something, whether it was cash, bragging rights, or just the experience of going toe-to-toe with some of the best hoopers in the game.

The final four were stacked—Napheesa Collier, Azurá Stevens, Arike Ogunbowale, and Aaliyah Edwards. Both Collier (over Stevens) and Edwards (over Ogunbowale) absolutely dominated their semifinal matchups, each winning by a jaw-dropping 11-2 margin. And that set the stage for a Best-of-3 Finals showdown between Collier and Edwards.

The reigning DPOY clinched the win and that win came with a fat $200,000 check. However, the 4x WNBA star lost to a rookie, which must be a pretty big blow for her. Although Ogunbowale scored first against Edwards after a slow start for both players, Edwards came on strong, going on an 11-0 run.

However, Vinyl captain seemed pretty unbothered despite missing out on $1,75,000. She tweeted, “my chest hurt 😂 25k ain’t bad though.”

And she’s got a point. Money is money. Edwards, the runner-up, walked away with $50,000, Ogunbowale and Stevens took home $25,000 each for making the semis while Collier’s Lunar Owls teammates—Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Shakira Austin—each pocketed an extra $10,000 just for being on the winning squad.

And that’s what makes Unrivaled different. It’s not just about competition—it’s about making sure the players get paid what they deserve.

Along with an already impressive salary structure, Unrivaled has set a new standard for women’s professional sports leagues. Also, this isn’t just about the money. The league provides top-tier facilities, proper rest, and a schedule that doesn’t leave players drained before the WNBA season even starts.

For fans, it’s bringing us more than we ever imagined. New stars are emerging, we’re getting to see players in a whole new light, and the skill on display is unreal. For instance, just look at Aaliyah Edwards.

Aaliyah Edwards shocks the stars, becomes Unrivaled’s breakout sensation

Edwards wasn’t exactly a favorite heading into the tournament. The Washington Mystics’ rookie, picked sixth overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was the unheralded No. 8 seed in the 1v1 bracket. But did that stop her? Not even close.

She made a statement right out the gate, shutting down Breanna Stewart with a brutal 12-0 win in the first round. And since her second-round opponent had to drop out due to injuries, she cruised straight into the quarterfinals, where she took down Allisha Gray. Then, she went up against Arike Ogunbowale—another top seed—and sent her packing, too.

She didn’t love the best-of-three format in the finals, arguing that the eight-point limit threw things off a bit, but she still walked away feeling proud of what she’d accomplished. “Absolutely, I’m in a good mood. I made it to the finals, and it’s the last step of this whole tournament. I’m proud of myself. No one could take that away from me,” Edwards said.

And there was a pretty cool full-circle moment, too. Edwards and Collier actually go way back—Edwards practiced against Phee at UConn about two years ago when Collier was pregnant.

After the final, Edwards even asked the Lynx star if she would “run it back again.” “I don’t want to run it back next year because you’re a really tough defender, but I have no doubt that we will be playing each other again,” Collier sad.

So all in all, Aaliyah Edwards made sure her name is one people won’t forget anytime soon. And heading into the WNBA season, opponents better be ready because she might be bringing that Unrivaled fire straight to the league.