Paige Bueckers delivered when it mattered, leading Breeze BC to its first-ever Unrivaled win on Monday. Still, the night briefly took a tense turn when teammate Aari McDonald went down midway through the game.
McDonald was making her long-awaited return after suffering a season-ending injury during her time with the Indiana Fever. The opener marked her first game action in months, something she acknowledged earlier in the day by posting, “Today is my first time playing in almost 5 months.”
That return didn’t go as planned.
McDonald exited in the third quarter after appearing to suffer another injury, immediately worrying fans who had been rooting for her comeback. Before leaving, she chipped in six points and helped set the tone early for Breeze BC.
With McDonald sidelined, Bueckers took control. The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year poured in 24 points and guided Breeze BC to a 69–62 win over Phantom BC, securing the franchise’s first victory in the new 3×3 league.
There was still concern after the buzzer, but McDonald quickly put it to rest. She shared an update on X the next day, writing, “Had a little scare last night. I’m all good yall.”
“Unrivaled is even more physical”: Paige Bueckers compares WNBA’s physicality from Unrivaled
While Aari McDonald’s injury scare was quickly dismissed by their win, Paige Bueckers shared her early impressions of the Unrivaled league, particularly how physical the 3×3 format feels compared to the WNBA.
Facing fellow WNBA stars like Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Plum, Paige Bueckers said the lack of help defense changes everything.
“We all know that the [WNBA] is physical, but Unrivaled, I feel is even more physical than that. And then not being able to have help side, you’re basically on an island. So at points, you’re gonna have to be okay with getting cooked,” Bueckers said via Clutch Points.
That physicality showed early, as the game stayed tight through three quarters. In the end, Bueckers closed it out with 24 points, five rebounds, and six assists, putting a stamp on Breeze BC’s debut while her team — and fans — breathed a sigh of relief over McDonald’s status.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
