Breanna Stewart and the Mist erased a 13-0 start to the semifinals to take down Paige Bueckers and the Breeze 73-69 on Monday night, punching their ticket to the 2026 Unrivaled Championship Game.
The championship is set, with the No. 2 Mist facing the No. 1 seeded Phantom in a showdown between the league’s top two seeds.
The Breeze stormed out to a 13-0 run in the first quarter, holding the Mist scoreless until the 3:36 mark of the opening frame. All three Mist starters were held without a field goal in the quarter, with Allisha Gray and Stewart combining to go 0-for-10 from the floor.
Bueckers tallied four points and five rebounds in the first, while Rickea Jackson erupted for 13 points to fuel the early surge.
The Mist responded before halftime, trimming the deficit to 44-38 after a fadeaway jumper from Stewart cut the Breeze lead to six.
Dominique Malonga delivered a standout third quarter, showcasing her offensive presence, but Alanna Smith and the Mist refused to go away. The Breeze carried a 62-55 lead into the final frame with the target score set at 73.
The Mist ripped off a 13-0 run to tie the game at 67 before Smith buried a three-pointer to give them a 70-67 lead. The Breeze briefly stopped the bleeding with a clutch bucket from Brink, but Arike Ogunbowale answered with a dagger three to hit the target score and seal the win.
No. 6 seed Vinyl def. No. 3 seed Laces, 82-69
No. 5 seed Breeze def. No. 4 seed Rose, 69-50
No. 1 seed Phantom def. No. 6 seed Vinyl, 83-75
No. 2 seed Mist def. No. 5 seed Breeze, 73-69
Finals (Wednesday, March 4)
No. 1 seed Phantom vs. No. 2 seed Mist
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