It would have been deja vu for Paige Bueckers. She entered a draft for the second time in the span of a year and was picked at No.1 all over again. Bueckers was the first pick in Unrivaled for the expansion team, the Breeze. Bueckers will be joined by Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, Aari McDonald, Kate Martin, and Cameron Brink. The Dallas Wings star immediately sent a mark of approval to her new offseason squad. 

Unrivaled overhauled its rosters heading into 2026. Before the draft, the 48 players were divided into six groups based on their position. Breeze BC and Hive BC, the expansion teams, automatically got the first and second overall picks. The first overall draft pick was determined by a coin toss between the two, with Breeze BC walking away first pick. From there, “remaining picks were conducted in a modified snake draft format designed to maintain competitive balance,” the league explained. 

Bueckers was quick to react to her new team in her first season of Unrivaled, delivering a 13-word message. Bueckers quoted the announcement on X while writing, “TEAM YOUNGINS!!!! I know you see the purple too😏 let’s get it Breeze💜” The youthful spark running through that team is truly on another level. 

Breeze has the top two draft picks and No.18 from 2025. The No.2 and No.4  from 2024. Then there is Aari McDonald at 27 years old, the ‘veteran’ of the team. Bueckers sent a subtle nod to the team’s colors, which include a pink‑to‑purple gradient in its crest and uniforms. In addition, the popularity quotient is high too. The Breeze has already become the first Unrivaled team to sell out all of its jersey merchandise, according to the Unrivaled website. It is not only the Paige Bueckers effect, either. Each player’s jersey in every size has been sold out.

However, it’s not that surprising. Bueckers is already the third most followed WNBA athlete on social media behind Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Since Angel Reese is not present in the 2025 roster, she is naturally the most in Unrivaled this season. At 1.4 million Instagram followers, Cameron Brink is slotted as the fourth most followed athlete. Her dual career as a basketball player and a model gives her another edge. 

Rickea Jackson is among the most talented youngsters in the WNBA in a marquee market like Los Angeles. Malonga made her mark towards the end of the 2025 season after coming off the bench at Storm. She went head-to-head against MVP candidate Napheesa Collier and put up some very impressive performances, further elevating her stardom.

Kate Martin is a former Caitlin Clark teammate, which brings her into a different category altogether. McDonald impressed for the Clark’s Indiana Fever, who have a social media value of $55.04 million according to a recent report. This cumulates with Breeze being the most exciting team in Unrivaled for 2026. Beyond just their off-court popularity, Breeze is looking like the early 2026 Unrivaled title favourite. 

The Team Around Paige Bueckers Makes Breeze A Cheatcode

Paige Bueckers was an all-rounder as a WNBA rookie. She averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in a team that rarely complemented her quality. However, things are drastically different in Unrivaled. Playing a 3v3 format, this squad has incredible potential to dominate Season 2. At just 19, Dominique Malonga’s incredible upside as a strong forward gives Bueckers a suitable outlet. Malonga averaged 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 42 games in 2025, but her real value showed when the Storm actually gave her enough time on the court. 

We have already seen Malonga dunk in viral clips. She nearly flashed it in the WNBA, but Unrivaled could be the first true U.S. showcase. The 3v3 format gives players a lot more space to work with. If Malonga wasn’t enough, they have Cameron Brink on their squad as an added size advantage. Brink is an elite shot blocker. This WNBA season, she averaged 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while playing just around 12 minutes. 

She was still restraining herself, coming back from an ACL tear. However, by the time Unrivaled arrives, she will potentially be in full flow. Rickea brings downhill buckets on the wing. She averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game with the Sparks and played with an elite point guard like Kelsey Plum. Kate Martin will do all the little things that take you from a good team to great. 

This season, she mostly came off the bench for the Valkyries but made an instant impact when she did. McDonald took over the Fever point guard duties and had a lot of expectations since she was replacing Caitlin Clark. She handled that well and will bring a similar flavour to this Breeze side. Combining all this makes the side one of the best in the league. Their only drawback is a lack of experience. Veterans might outsmart them with tricky moves, but they have already shown themselves to be playing beyond their years. Hopefully, this side will be able to figure out a way to win and dominate.