As a new basketball league boasting of unique features, Unrivaled could not have begun with a better pair of matches. The inaugural tournament kicked off with a set-to between the Mist and the Lunar Owls, which just so happened to herald founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, followed by the equally competitive match pitting the Rose against the Vinyl. And, certainly, the way they and their teammates played the seven-minute quarters and Elan ending on a compressed floor shone the spotlight on everything good with their brand of 3v3 hoops. Wayfair Arena just off downtown Miami, a high-tech sound stage retrofitted for the two-month event, served as the perfect setting, with all 850 seats on tap no farther than 10 meters from all the action.

Heading into opening night, not a few quarters entertained doubts about the entertainment value of Unrivaled, and not just in relation to other three-on-three contests such as those in Summer Games and the Big3 League set up by rapper Ice Cube. That said, it had a lot going for it: established marquee names from the WNBA still at their peak, the backing of Corporate America, and, most importantly, the interest of diehard basketball fans looking to partake of their favorite sport in the offseason. And it likewise had an overriding objective outside the confines of the court: promise its stars part ownership of the fledgling enterprise and a take-home pay of some $200,000 to keep them stateside.

Given that the league is composed of only six teams, it had no choice but to get two to play anew the day after it opened its doors. And, as things turned out, the Lunar Owls — with Collier again putting up big numbers alongside Game One hero Skylar Diggins-Smith and Alisha Gray — managed to claim a second win. In contrast, the Rose, headlined by Angel Reese, Chelsea Gray, and Kahleah Copper, suffered another setback. At least they stayed within striking distance, unlike the highly touted Phantom, who suffered a 38-point drubbing at the hands of the extremely efficient Laces. Needless to say, the latter were handicapped by the absence of Marina Mabrey, especially with Sabrina Ionescu at less than a hundred percent and Satou Sabally still exhibiting rust.

All told, Unrivaled has the makings of a stellar product, the occasional clunker notwithstanding. Yes, there’s room for improvement; those in the comfort of their homes wanting to be more immersed in the proceedings would appreciate the broadcast to have less in-game interviews and more stat overlays, thus keeping the focus on the goings-on inside the lines. And because the optics do matter for a fledgling endeavor, the cameras could be better placed to show more of the capacity crowd and accentuate the energy over intimacy. The foundation is solid in any case, and it looks to be here to stay.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.