Brittney Griner out, Alyssa Thomas in Unrivaled League $350,000 tournament

WNBA center Brittney Griner will not be playing in Phoenix for the first time in her career this season after signing to the Atlanta Dream Tuesday. All-WNBA forward Alyssa Thomas will be making her debut for the Phoenix Mercury this year after being traded by the Connecticut Sun on the same day.

The “Thomas in, Griner out” storyline is going to be a hot topic in The Valley for the next several months as both superstars adjust to new teams for the first time in their 11-year careers. It’s also a headline that has trickled over into the Unrivaled League in a different way.

Unrivaled is adding a 1-on-1 tournament to its inaugural 3-on-3 season with more than $350,000 in cash prizes on the line. Its 30-player roster included Thomas but left off Griner.

Griner is one of five WNBA players to not participate in the tournament. New York Liberty guards Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Washington Mystics center Stefanie Dolson were all early exclusion from the games.

Thomas, on the other hand, will be shooting her shot for the money. New teammate and Mercury Second Team All-WNBA selection Kahleah Copper and former Phoenix all-league defender Natasha Cloud will also be competing in the tournament. Cloud was a part of the deal acquiring Thomas, sending the 2024 Second Team All-Defensive Team to Connecticut.

The two pro hoop legends rival each other in Unrivaled. Griner edges Thomas out for the 14th highest point total in the league, averaging 14.8 points per game. The newest Mercury member averages 14.7 points. Thomas outshines Griner in every other category, putting up a double-double per outing with 11.7 rebounds, while piling in four rebounds and 1.3 steals on a nightly basis.

Thomas is a star for the No. 1 team in the league, undefeated Laces BC. Griner and Phantom BC sit at the bottom half of the league at 1-3. She scored a season-high 29 points in Phantom’s first win of the season over Mist BC.

The prize pool for Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 challenge will award the winner $200,000 and additional $10,000 for league teammates. The runner-up will receive $50,000 and the semifinalist losers will receive $25,000. The tournament begins on Feb. 10. The first round will air on truTV from noon to 2 p.m. MST, followed by the remaining games airing on truTV and TNT from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. MST.