Unrivaled award picks for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, more

Here is my 2025 Unrivaled awards ballot and my thought process regarding my selections.

The 2025 inaugural season of Unrivaled was one for the books. The best women basketball players competed in an intense 3x3 competition, and we received high-quality professional games during the WNBA offseason.

As we turn the page and enter the playoffs, it is time to reflect and give out end-of-season awards for Unrivaled.

I was asked to participate in the award process by the league and accepted the honor.

Here are my picks and a breakdown of why they were the best players to select.

Most Valuable Player - Napheesa Collier, Lunar Owls

Collier was far and away the best player in Unrivaled. When the 1-on-1 competition occurred, she came out victorious, beating Aaliyah Edwards in the final.

She led the league in scoring, averaging 25.7 and was top-five in rebounding, grabbing 10.6 boards per game.

With her leading the charge, the Lunar Owls were the best team in the league, going 13-1. No one was more dominant or valuable for their team than Phee, making her the easy choice for MVP.

Right behind Collier for MVP were Kayla McBride and Dearica Hamby. McBride played for the Laces, leading them to a 7-7 record and a playoff berth. She was an elite scorer, averaging 22.2 points, and had a nose for the ball, earning a steal a game.

Hamby received my third-place vote for MVP due to her impact on Vinyl’s success. Without her contributions, that team would not have made the postseason. She scored 19.9 points and grabbed a team-high 9.8 rebounds per game. If they go on a run in the playoffs, it’ll be because Hamby puts the team on her back and leads them to victory.

Defensive Player of the Year - Napheesa Collier, Lunar Owls

The most dominant also happens to be the best defender in the league. Even with 3x3 providing more spacing, Collier simply just covered more ground. She was a maniacal rim protector.

Players were helpless against her in the paint, leading to Collier registering a league-best 1.4 rejections per game.

Collier took on the toughest assignments, defending players like Breanna Stewart and Angel Reese and won her individual battles far more than she lost. Not only did she neutralize teams inside, but ball handlers weren’t safe on the perimeter either. She led the league in steals with 2.0 swipes per game.

When you add up her stats and watch her individual and team defense, the only conclusion you can reach is that Collier is the best defender not just in Unrivaled or the WNBA but in the world.

I selected Rhyne Howard and Breanna Stewart as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-ups. Howard was a fantastic inside defender for Team Vinyl. Her physicality helped neutralize her opponents. She averaged 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

Stewart was one of the few bright spots for the Mist and was a great all-around defender, able to handle most of the bigs and also give the perimeter players problems. There won’t be any playoffs for Stewart in Unrivaled, but she ended her season averaging 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

All-Unrivaled teams

First Team

Napheesa Collier - Lunar Owls
Kayla McBride - Laces
Dearica Hamby - Vinyl

Second Team

Chelsea Gray - Rose
Rhyne Howard - Vinyl
Allisha Gray - Lunar Owls

I’ve already discussed the All-Unrivaled first team players, so I will focus on those who have yet to get their flowers. Chelsea Gray was sensational at Unrivaled. After a WNBA season mired by injuries, the Point God appears to be healthy and back to her regular level of play.

She scored easily, averaging 21.3 points and a league-high 5.4 assists per game. Gray’s passing was truly mesmerizing, leading to some of the best highlights of the year.

While Collier was the Lunar Owls’ dominant big, Allisha Gray was the guard who kept everything running smoothly. She was a balanced player, averaging 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Hamby may have been Vinyl's most important player, but Howard was a close second. She played the most minutes on the team, averaging 19.3 per contest and scored 20.5 points per game.

Coach of the Year - DJ Sackmann, Lunar Owls

With the Lunar Owls only losing one game, I have to credit coach DJ Sackmann. They’ve consistently been the best team and have run through this league. All other teams feel relatively evenly matched, but the Lunar Owls are in a class by themselves, and that’s due to the players and the coaching staff working in perfect harmony.

Other coaches I considered for this award were Nola Henry, the coach of Team Rose and Andrew Wade of the Laces.

Rose finished the season strong, earning the second seed with an 8-6 record. The Laces were the only other team to reach the .500 mark, and they also earned a playoff berth.

So, there you have it. That’s all of my votes for the Unrivaled end-of-season awards. I want to thank the powers that be for bestowing me with this privilege, and I can’t wait to hear what people think about my selections and who the award winners will be once the official results are announced.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.