UNRIVALED SHINES IN THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE

On January 30, Xfinity Mobile Arena drew a record 21,490 fans, a building record and a regular-season record for women’s professional basketball.

The fans in Philly and viewers at home were treated to a fantastic doubleheader. In the opener, hometown hero Natasha Cloud’s Phantom held on to beat Paige Bueckers and the Breeze 71-68.

The night was a Philly celebration, but New Jersey made its presence known in a MAJOR way. Mabrey went off for an Unrivaled record 47 points and had Philly on tilt the entire evening.

Although Kahleah Copper’s Rose BC couldn’t stop the Mabrey onslaught, it was a special night for the hometown hero.

The stars were out and provided memories that will last a lifetime. Unrivaled has had to manage growing pains in 2026, but this outing is an overwhelming success and something the league can build on.

"It's just a testament to what we're building here, how much people believe in it," Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier said. "So to have the city show out like this, to break a record in all of women's professional basketball here tonight, and for it to be Unrivaled, I think it's just amazing. The future's Unrivaled."

“I’m so proud of y’all for showing up,” Copper said before the game began. “I love my city. Y’all showed up and showed out, selling this crowd out … Shoutout to the north side of Philly. Philly is Unrivaled.”

Unrivaled’s first road outing was a massive success. Their community presence was felt, and they delivered tremendous basketball in the main event.

As they continue to establish themselves, nights like these go a long way toward building their reputation across sports.

NEW MONTH, NEW STANDINGS!

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

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STILL WAITING…

The WNBA CBA saga has been years in the making. It’s been a long road to this point, and everyone acknowledges that a lot is on the line here. With billions of dollars on the line, you’d think a deal would be the top priority.

You’d think.

In Issue 091 of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we previewed a scheduled meeting between the WNBA and WNBPA on February 2. It was the first in-person meeting between the two sides since the WNBA Finals and the first meeting since the status quo was declared. A lot’s on the line, and with the calendar starting to get affected by the delays, time is of the essence.

So what happened?

My goodness.

Although nothing was accomplished, both sides reportedly found the meeting valuable in some respects. When the two sides meet again, the league is expected to respond to the PA’s proposal.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne was able to obtain some of what the WNBA’s current positions are in CBA talks

There are some interesting nuggets in the league’s proposals. The mentions of pregnant players stand out, especially as various moms in the WNBA have discussed the issues they have faced.

The “Recognition Payment” is something to watch closely, as retired players have gone on record to discuss the lack of support they receive from the league upon retirement. With more money coming into the WNBA, this CBA represents an opportunity to go back and help the players who laid the foundation for the league to reach this point.

If you’ve ever been in contentious CBA negotiations and had to call a caucus so your group can collect its thoughts, everything Alysha Clark said here sounds familiar

“As the [Executive Committee], the point of our job is to have these tough conversations behind closed doors with one another. To hash through it all, because it’s a lot. It’s complicated. There are so many things that are on the table in this proposal and us having discussions doesn’t equate to fracturing.”

As the players continue their fight, they have the backing of their peers as they seek the best CBA possible

There’s still time, but not much of it. Everyone is stuck in place as we wait for a CBA to be signed. There’s too much on the line for this season to be missed.

At this point, the league needs to move with more urgency and make real progress. Clock’s ticking.

WINDY CITY LAWSUITS

The Chicago Sky are headed to court.

Team majority owner Michael Alter is being sued by minority owner Steven Rogers. The suit alleges in part that Alter has shortchanged other investors and has taken part in “self-dealing.” From the suit:

“While the Chicago Sky basketball team has had some success on the court, as a business, Alter’s operation has been a mess. For years, [Alter] has run the Sky with blatant disregard for … the minimum standards of competence for business operations.”

As of now, no other minority owners have joined Rogers’ suit against Alter. An initial hearing is set for February 5, and we should begin to learn more about the suit as it makes its way through the court system.

The Sky has a lot on the line. As All-Star Game hosts, they're tasked with providing a good experience. The practice facility, due to open in 2026, is behind schedule. And they're trying to end their playoff drought. It’s a lot to handle, and this lawsuit makes it more challenging.

The Sky has one of the worst reputations in the WNBA. Former players have spoken about how the organization mistreated them. They lag behind their peers in various areas.

This lawsuit alleges ownership malfeasance. We'll see what the truth is and how the team responds.

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

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