The Unparalleled 1v1 Tournament with its playground ambiance were on full display during the first round of action.
On Wednesday, 22 players competed in single elimination matches to see who would advance to the second round and have a chance at the title. A prize pool of $300,000. Although there were several upsets in the first round as the matchups unfolded, the most shocking match of the evening was when Mist guard Veronica Burton defeated Breeze guard Courtney Williams, 11-0.
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In just one minute and 23 seconds, Burton advanced, never giving Williams a chance to get the ball back during the make-it-take-it style of the game. Williams, stunned, apparently couldn’t believe what had happened.
“Wow, chat” Williams said postame on“Even not getting the ball back is crazy.”
Apart from the exciting Williams-Burton clash, three Seeds #1, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers and Kelsey Mitchell, all have moved on. Top players like Rose’s Chelsea Gray and Mist’s Arike Ogunbowale also punched their ticket to the next round.
Before the second round, No. 1 seed Allisha Gray and partner Saniya Rivers of Vinyl advanced after Rose’s Kahleah Copper and Breeze’s Rickea Jackson opted out of the tournament. Lunar Owls guard Skylar Diggins, Laces guard Jordin Canada and forward Alyssa Thomas also declined.
Digggins and Canada’s decision to skip Phantom forward guard Kelsey Plum to face Hive guard Natisha Hiedeman in the second round. Shadow center Aliyah Boston is also moving on after Thomas’ replacement, Laeticia Amihere, dropped out of the tournament on Wednesday.
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Here’s an updated look at the unrivaled 1v1 tournament bracket:
Unrivaled 1v1 tournament bracket as of February 12, 2026. (Courtesy of Unrivaled)
Unmatched results from the first round of the 1v1 tournament
Individual match winners are in bold. Results also include starting numbers in parentheses and the final score.
Pod A
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(5) Véronique Burton against (4) Courtney Williams; Final score: 11-0
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(8) Rachel Banham vs. (1) Kelsey Mitchell; Final score: 12-3
Pod B
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(5) Brittney Sykes vs. (4) Arike Ogunbowale; Final score: 11-2
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(7) Natasha Cloud vs. (2) Chelsea Gray; Final score: 10-11
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(6) Aziaha James vs. (3) Jackie Young; Final score: 12-4
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(8) Kate Martin vs. (1) Paige Buckers; Final score: 12-5
Pod C
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(6) Sonia Lemon against (3) Marina Mabrey; Final score: 12-10
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(7) Rae Burrell against (2) Rhyne Howard; Final score: 12-9
Pod D
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(6) Shakira Austin against (3) Dearica Hamby; Final score: 12-10
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(7) Dominique Malonga against (2) Aaliyah Edwards; Final score: 11-8
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(8) Li Yueru vs. (1) Breanna Stewart; Final score: 11-6
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Unmatched 1v1 bracketing in 2026: Burton shuts out Williams and shocks fans
