Paige Bueckers vs. Kate Martin. 1-on-1. Tonight. 👀

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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

The Unrivaled 1-on-1 Tournament starts tonight with 12 first-round matchups, including Natasha Cloud vs. Chelsea Gray, Sonia Citron vs. Marina Mabrey, Dominique Malonga vs. Aaliyah Edwards, and of course, Kate Martin vs. Paige Bueckers. Games last 10 minutes or until a player hits 11 points. You can watch at 7:00 PM ET on truTV or stream on HBO Max.

👉 See the full first-round matchups

WHY IT MATTERS: For the players, there is serious money on the line. The winner takes home $200,000. The runner-up gets $50,000. Each semifinalist earns $25,000. And this year, the champion’s 3-on-3 teammates each pocket $10,000.

But let’s be honest… as fans, this is about the matchups. No help defense. No kicking it out when you are in trouble. Just head-to-head competition. It feels like watching elite pros go at it at the park, except the cameras and lights are on and there is a real payday.

Alissa Pili is returning to Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, stepping in for Air Hearn for the rest of Season 5 after Hearn suffered an injury. Pili was drafted by Alysha Clark to the Eclipse for Week Two and joins the team as a forward. She previously finished a strong AU run in 2025 with 2,272 leaderboard points. (Athletes Unlimited)

WHY IT MATTERS: Pili has always been easy to root for. She plays hard. She competes. And in college, she was a must-watch.

She is still finding her footing at the pro level, though. This AU stretch gives her real minutes and real reps in a competitive setting. With a WNBA season ahead and a roster spot with the LA Sparks, this is a chance to keep developing and proving herself.

The women’s Wooden Award late midseason Top 20 dropped Tuesday. The award goes to the best player in college basketball, and this year’s watch list includes names like Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd from UConn, Audi Crooks from Iowa State, Mikayla Blakes from Vanderbilt, and Hannah Hidalgo from Notre Dame.

👉 See the full Top 20

WHY IT MATTERS: The Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in the sport. If you win this, you are listed among some greats.

LSU leads the way with three players on the list: MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’jae Johnson, and Mikayla Williams. Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and UConn each have two. And when you look at recent winners like JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sabrina Ionescu, and A’ja Wilson, you realize how elite this company really is.

🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked which recent Unrivaled move you were most excited about, and 58% of you picked Courtney Williams joining the Breeze alongside Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Dominique Malonga, and crew.

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