Basketball <\/p>\n
Unrivaled \u2014 the new professional women\u2019s 3-on-3 basketball leagues \u2014 is set to tip off on Friday, and the basketball community is eager to tune in to watch 36 of the world\u2019s best WNBA<\/a> players compete, a list that includes Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, and Brittney Griner. <\/p>\n The roster is mostly made of multiple-time All-Stars and Olympic players \u2014 decorated players in the primes of their careers \u2014 but there\u2019s a handful of less accomplished players with enormous potential. <\/p>\n Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told SB Nation that through the first week of preseason action, there\u2019s been a surprise standout: Los Angeles Sparks forward Rae Burrell. <\/p>\n \u201cRae Burrell has kind of been off the charts early,\u201d Bazzell said. \u201cNot to say she\u2019s not also a great player in the WNBA. It\u2019s why she\u2019s here. We targeted the best of the best. But I think this game is even further built for her versatility, and her length, and her skill level.\u201d<\/p>\n Burrell, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 9 pick in 2022, has been a solid bench player in her first three seasons. This past season, she averaged 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes off the bench for the Sparks this past season. In college, Burrell averaged 10.3 points as one of Tennessee\u2019s top players, shooting 34.1% from three-point range. <\/p>\n But, while she\u2019s shown flashes of potential, Burrell only scored in the double-digits six times last season. So far through the early days of Unrivaled, she\u2019s exceeded that production. <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s constantly in conversations in the coach\u2019s office like, \u2018Wow, we didn\u2019t realize she was going to be this impactful this early \u2014 because she\u2019s also a pretty young player,\u201d Bazzell said of the 24-year-old. <\/p>\n Burrell is a member of the Vinyl club, which also includes Arike Ogunbowale<\/a> (Dallas Wings), Rhyne Howard<\/a> (Atlanta Dream), Aliyah Boston<\/a> (Indiana Fever), Jordin Canada<\/a> (Atlanta Dream), and Dearica Hamby<\/a> (Sparks). That team is coached by WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon<\/a>, who most recently served as the head coach of the Chicago Sky before being dismissed<\/a> after her first season. <\/p>\n The 3-on-3 full-court is a unique concept \u2014 and one that hasn\u2019t ever been professionalized in this fashion. As such, there may very well be players who disproportionately thrive in this environment more than they historically have in the WNBA. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s players that this game is just kind of built for them. The spacing, the pace \u2014 having versatility in 3-on-3 is really important,\u201d Bazzell said. \u201cThe WNBA is a very physical game. So, I think what you\u2019re seeing here is you don\u2019t have to be the strongest player, you don\u2019t have to be the biggest player, but you have to be versatile. Those players who are faster, can handle it, can shoot it, can guard \u2014 there\u2019s a lot of players I think are really going to stand out in this league even more than others.\u201d <\/p>\n Burrell, speaking on the Pull Up<\/a> podcast last month, said she\u2019s previously played 3-on-3 full court and loved it. <\/p>\n \u201cI actually really, really enjoyed it. It just is the space, and everything, and the downhill, and the fast pace of it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just something that I really enjoy, and the type of play that I like to play.\u201d <\/p>\n For episode 49 of Pull Up, Rae Burrell (@Raehoops<\/a>) of the Los Angeles Sparks joined me and Owen to share her excitement for the upcoming Unrivaled season. In this clip below, she talks about her unique experience playing full-court three-on-three hoops. pic.twitter.com\/mTIjJZsvD8<\/a><\/p>\n\n