The Laces, led by Brittney Sykes and Jackie Young, are sitting in the No. 1 seed at 8-2. Their eighth win came Feb. 6 against the Lunar Owls in a tight 74-70 victory.
The Laces are stacked, with two players in the league’s top 15 in scoring average and five in the top 30. They came out swinging to start the season, winning six of their first seven games. Their most impressive win came Jan. 24 against the Hive, a 70-52 blowout.
The Laces Are Unstoppable
Undoubtedly, Young and Sykes are driving this stacked team. For starters, both are averaging 16-plus points per game in about 15 minutes. Right now, Sykes is setting the tone with 18.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists, plus 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Young stays close behind at 16.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 45.8 percent shooting. Together, they are producing at a level most players can only chase.
But it does not stop there. The Laces also have two players flirting with double-doubles. For example, Alyssa Thomas is posting 11.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Naz Hillmon is at 9.7 points and 7.0 rebounds.
As a result, the Laces look like the favorite to win the 2026 Unrivaled title. Still, the reigning champion Rose can try to run it back. Next, the Laces begin their final stretch Feb. 17 against the seventh-seeded Hive. With that in mind, and with only four games left plus a two-game win streak, the Laces have the tools to go unbeaten in February.
https://dicecitysports.com/2026/02/04/celebrating-national-girls-and-women-in-sports-day/
Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
