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Breanna Stewart wins Unrivaled Finals MVP award
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It was Breanna Stewart 's night on Wednesday. She led the Mist to the 2026 Unrivaled championship, defeating the Phantom 80-74 in the title game on Wednesday night at Sephora Arena in South Florida. The victory concluded the second season of the league, with Stewart earning Finals MVP honors after scoring 32 points and grabbing four rebounds while shooting an efficient 11-for-15 from the field.
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The Mist entered the matchup as the No. 2 seed and had lost both regular-season meetings against the top-seeded Phantom. However, Stewart took control after halftime. The 31-year-old opened the second half by scoring the team's first 12 points and also produced a 10-0 individual scoring run that included a hook shot, a three-pointer, an and-one against Kiki Iriafen , and a layup off a pick-and-roll pass from Veronica Burton . She helped Mist build a six-point lead early in the third quarter, their largest advantage at that stage.
The championship followed Unrivaled's unique format. Games are played three-on-three on a 72-foot full court with an 18-second shot clock and seven-minute quarters. After three quarters, the game moves to an untimed "target score" format where 11 points are added to the leading score. Mist entered the final period ahead 68-62, meaning the first team to reach 79 points would win.
Both sides traded blows in a game that stayed close throughout. The two teams were tied 24-24 after the first quarter and 43-43 at halftime. Phantom star Kelsey Plum carried her team offensively, scoring 18 of Phantom's 24 first-quarter points while shooting 7-of-8 from the field with four three-pointers. She ultimately finished with 40 points on 14-for-21 shooting, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and five assists. Her 40-point performance set the Unrivaled playoff scoring record. Kiki Iriafen recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds for Phantom, while Tiffany Hayes scored 12.
Mist received balanced scoring behind Stewart. Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points off the bench, and Allisha Gray contributed 12 points.
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The turning point came when an offensive foul called on Stewart was overturned to a defensive block after review, giving her a free throw with the Mist just one point away from the target score. She knocked down the shot to clinch the championship.
Each Mist player will receive a $100,000 prize from the $600,000 championship pool, double the $50,000 awarded to last season's winners.
For Stewart, who co-founded Unrivaled with Napheesa Collier , the win added another accomplishment to a career that already includes four NCAA titles at UConn, three WNBA championships, three Olympic gold medals, three World Cup gold medals, and two EuroLeague titles.
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