Chelsea Gray battled exhaustion and her toughest opponent to claim a career-defining $200K prize in a grueling 1-on-1 showdown.
Chelsea Gray dug deep when the stakes — and the payday — were highest. The veteran guard outlasted Allisha Gray in a grueling three-game final Saturday night to win the 2026 Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament in Miami, securing a $200,000 prize that exceeds what she earned last season in the WNBA.
Gray, known as the “Point Gawd,” added another accolade to a résumé that already includes four WNBA championships, a Finals MVP award and multiple Commissioner’s Cup honors. This time, it came in a showcase built purely on isolation skill, conditioning and nerve.
Before addressing her own performance, Gray turned her attention to her opponent, who pushed her to the limit in the championship round.
“First I want to shout out Lish, man. A round of applause for Lish. Something about that last name, man, I swear. Man, we were exhausted,” Gray said. “I was just telling [Jackie Young], I'm done with the sprints. But man, just a testament to the hard work that I put in all the time.”
The financial stakes were impossible to ignore. Gray earned $196,267 last season with the Las Vegas Aces, meaning Saturday’s winner’s check surpassed her WNBA salary.
Gray acknowledged that reality after the final possession fell.
“You just gotta take care of the moment and the rest will happen,” she said. “You dig deep when there's $200K on the line. We were both battling. We'll spend that money wisely.”
When asked how she plans to use the prize, Gray kept the answer simple.
“A vacation,” she said. “My wife said that she'll handle it.”
The finals unfolded as a test of endurance.
Allisha Gray controlled the opener with efficiency. She began with the ball, drilled a 3-pointer to set the tone, converted a two-point free throw and later secured an offensive rebound before finishing with a fadeaway jumper to close the game with little suspense.
The second game turned into a battle against fatigue. Both players struggled early, trading misses as their legs showed signs of wear. Allisha briefly regained momentum with a 3-pointer, but Chelsea answered with back-to-back 3s to seize control. After a timeout, she created separation on a fadeaway to force a decisive third game.
Game 3 carried the weight of both exhaustion and opportunity. Allisha again started strong, attacking the rim for six quick points that pushed Chelsea to the brink. A missed opportunity opened the door, and Chelsea responded with four quick points to steady herself.
What followed was a physical stalemate. The two exchanged bumps and contested shots as scoring dried up and officials allowed contact to dictate the rhythm. After a prolonged stretch of missed attempts, Allisha slipped on a drive, creating the space Chelsea needed. She stepped into a 3-pointer and buried it, ending the tournament with one final shot.
The road to the championship was equally dramatic. In the semifinals, Chelsea erased an 8-0 deficit against former Aces teammate Kelsey Plum by scoring 12 straight points, repeatedly leveraging her size inside. Allisha nearly saw her own comeback attempt undone when Aliyah Boston responded to a 9-0 start with 10 consecutive points in the post, but Allisha closed the contest with a decisive 3-pointer.
Plum and Boston each earned $25,000 as semifinalists, while Allisha took home $50,000 as runner-up.
For Chelsea Gray, the weekend reinforced a reputation built on composure and clutch shot-making. In a format stripped of teammates and systems, she relied on craft, strength and timing — and walked away with both a trophy and the largest single-game payday of her career.