A WORLD-CLASS SHOWCASE IN BROOKLYN

There’s an unexplainable energy to playoff basketball. Everything is heightened; you feel the importance of every moment, and everyone is ready to take their game to another level. The games are more intense, and it takes more to win. It makes for a wonderful viewing experience, and for the good folks in Brooklyn, it made for a magical March night.

In front of a sold-out, energetic crowd of 18,261 at Barclays Center, the Unrivaled semifinals delivered a show for the ages. Before the game, Unrivaled leadership met with the press and were asked if the New York reception was what they expected.

“It's so exciting to see,” Unrivaled Commissioner Mickey Lawler said.

“It's so reassuring, so validating. And we're always surprised, but we're not surprised. It's very obvious to us that the voice economy is very strong in women's basketball, and the fans really carry us as much as the players, and so it's a flawless partnership. And so we're eternally grateful.”

Unrivaled showed their gratitude by giving Barclays Center the best basketball they’ve seen in 2026.

In the opener, no. 1 seeded Phantom took on Vinyl. Phantom was shorthanded as they are without Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston. However, Kelsey Plum has carried the team all season long and poured in another 30+ point outing as the Phantom continued their magical season with an 83-75 win. That set the stage for the main event.

In the nightcap, the Mist found themselves down by nine points in the fourth quarter. However, they went on a furious rally to tie the game late. With the game on the line, Arike Ogunbowale capped off her 29th birthday in the best way imaginable

It’s been a hectic year and change for Ogunbowale, and a game like this goes a long way in providing joy and happiness.

“It's definitely special to be able to work and win on my birthday,” Ogunbowale said. “I wrote 29 things I was thankful for this morning. Being able to play basketball for a living… People get off of work and go play basketball as an extracurricular activity, but I wake up, and all I have to do is work out and play basketball, and I get paid a good amount of money. So it's definitely a blessing,” she added.

Unrivaled’s games were a hit. They reached a huge market on short notice and packed the house. As they debate more road trips, nights like these are very encouraging. The interest in women’s hoops continues to rise, and with more opportunities comes more chances to make history.

The championship game will be on March 4 at 9:30 PM EST. Join Black Rosie Media for a special watch party livestream!

We should be celebrating a magical Monday for Unrivaled and WNBA players was. However, we got snapped back into reality less than 24 hours later.

More on that in a bit.

LAST CALL!

Here’s the latest in the AP’s Top 25 rankings:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

WHO TOOK HOME THE CROWN?

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Over a stretch of games, you’ll have enough opportunities to bounce back from early struggles. If you trust your process, good things will come your way. And for one of Athletes Unlimited’s most experienced players, she’s trusted her process, and it’s helped her overcome the odds.

Odyssey Sims’ story is one of resilience. The 11-year veteran has played for six teams in her WNBA career, but she always finds a way to make a positive impact wherever she lands.

She’s been an underdog throughout her career, but she’s always ready to step up and do what she can to win. And after falling a bit short in back-to-back seasons, the lefty finally came out on top.

AU wrapped up its second season in Nashville. Entering week four, Sims was in first place after a week-one ranking of 18th. Sims jumped to first after two outstanding weeks as she showed why she was such a key part of the Indiana Fever’s miracle run in the 2025 WNBA playoffs. With teams constantly changing, it takes a lot of focus to succeed and adjust to the changing environments. Luckily, Sims is an expert at that.

“I mean, at this point, just to touch on my W career, the last few years, going to one team, getting cut, picked up, you know, that kind of thing, I think that’s helped,” Sims said. “It’s easy for me to adapt. Just do my job. I do my best. That’s pretty much it. Just have fun, make sure I’m having fun with it, and just enjoying the people that are around me.”

All that experience paid off as Sims finished in first place and won the Championship!

Aneesah Morrow, Rebekah Gardner, and Tina Charles rounded out the top four.

Athletes Unlimited is a great basketball environment for veterans and rookies alike. The level of competition is excellent, and the players are invested in each other’s success. As they prepare for the future, seasons like this will make the league a premier destination.

A MOMENT OF CRISIS

Labor negotiations are a series of tests. They test your character, your endurance, your desire, and your ability to achieve a set goal. It’s a punishing process that takes a long time and requires a lot of energy before you reach the finish line. They’re a battle of endurance, and it takes total discipline and teamwork to get the job done.

If you fall short in one of those areas, the opposition will take full advantage and put you on the defensive. For the WNBPA, they’re experiencing this at the absolute WORST possible time.

On March 3, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou and Don Van Natta Jr. published a bombshell report on the WNBPA’s handling of CBA talks. In it, they report that Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum, two executive members of the WNBPA, sent a letter to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson on March 1 in which they shared their “serious concerns” about how the WNBPA is handling negotiations.

They noted their frustration with the “lack of progress” they feel the PA has shown in advance of the WNBA-imposed March 10 deadline for a CBA to be signed.

The letter reportedly goes into detail about not having access to certain information, such as breakdowns of WNBA expenses and revenue, descriptions of rookie salaries, and plenty more.

Per ESPN’s reporting, the duo “believe it is time to begin negotiating off the league's proposals when it comes to revenue sharing.” The WNBA has consistently put forth only net revenue as part of its revenue-sharing ideas, and it’s been a non-starter for the majority of union leadership.

Stewart and Plum are deeply concerned by this process, and it appears they’re not alone.

"When we and other players have attempted to express concerns about negotiations, we have been made to feel as though we are acting against the interests of the PA” the letter states.

“Many other players across the league feel these same frustrations and have expressed them to us, but feel afraid or unable to speak out."

This is a disaster for the WNBPA.

In CBA negotiations, you never argue with your team in front of management. And in high-stakes talks like this, you NEVER air dirty laundry in front of the world.

Having this leak with a deadline rapidly approaching is disastrous and puts the PA at an even greater disadvantage in negotiations. The WNBA has time and money on its side, and any infighting amongst labor makes its lives easy.

The WNBPA lost its momentum.

The longer the talks have gone, the more flaws have been exposed. They’re running out of time and are falling apart, while the WNBA is unified.

When this saga is over, they need to figure out where things went wrong. And maybe make some changes, too...

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

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