Less than 24 hours into Katie Lou Samuelson's Unrivaled career, she already has a new teammate.
By way of a three-team trade, the Phantom Basketball Club has picked up Natasha Cloud to boost its roster. The trade occurred between Samuelson's Phantom, the Laces, and the Lunar Owls.
The Lunar Owls first traded Natasha Cloud to the Laces for Courtney Williams. Williams now teams up with Minnesota Lynx teammate, and Unrivaled co-founder, Napheesa Collier to make up undoubtedly the most dominant team in the league on the defensive half. Collier and Williams make up two of the top four players in defensive win shares in the WNBA in 2024.
The Laces then flipped Natasha Cloud to the Phantom, where Cloud would remain (for the time being, anyway). With Cloud, the Laces also packaged the final Unrivaled Wildcard slot in exchange for Tiffany Hayes and Jackie Young. Hayes and Young now team up with Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Kate Martin, and Stephanie Dolson.
The Phantom lives up to its name: This team is SCARY
With Cloud now a member of the Phantom, she teams up with Satou Sabally and Brittney Griner to make up one of the best all-around starting lineups in the league.
The addition of Samuelson, which came just a mere 24 hours prior to this trade, also gives the Phantom one of the best three-point shooting rosters in all of Unrivaled. She and Marina Mabrey can light it up from beyond the arc, both shooting at a high clip.
There is then, of course, that final Wildcard spot. Does Caitlin Clark change her mind and accept that outstanding offer from Unrivaled? Regardless of who it is, the Phantom roster is far from complete.
Unrivaled tips off its inaugural season on Friday, January 17. The Phantom will play the following day, January 18, against the Laces to kick off their season.