The finals featured the No. 1 seed Phantom vs. the No. 2 seed Mist on March 4, and it lived up to the hype. The game stayed tight throughout, with both teams trading buckets. In the end, Breanna Stewart iced it at the free-throw line as the Mist closed out an 80-74 win.
The Battle Was Close
Kelsey Plum and Stewart stole the show. Plum led all scorers with 40 points, plus 6 rebounds and 5 assists, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. She came out blazing, scoring 18 points in the first quarter alone.
Stewart answered with a monster line of her own: 32 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, plus 2 blocks and 2 steals, while shooting 73.3 percent from the field. She dominated on both ends, and she earned Finals MVP after delivering in the biggest moment.
The Mist also got a major lift from its balance. Every player on the floor scored at least 5 points, and four of the five reached double figures. By comparison, the Phantom got points from four players total, with three in double figures.
Because of the talent on both sides, the game stayed intense from start to finish. The teams traded tough buckets and and-1s, and the moment never looked too big for anyone. Many fans entered the night expecting the Phantom to finish off a title run. Instead, the Mist flipped the script and handed them a frustrating end to an otherwise strong season.
For Stewart, the win carried extra weight. As a co-founder of Unrivaled, she wanted a championship of her own after watching fellow co-founder Napheesa Collier win the first title with Rose. On March 4, Stewart got her payback and added another trophy to her resume.
Unrivaled: The Phantom’s & Mist’s Intense Road to the Finals
Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
