The Rose
The Rose roster featured Brittney Sykes, Azurá Stevens, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Chelsea Gray, and Angel Reese. Later in the season, they signed Natisha Hiedeman and Naz Hillmon as relief players following injuries to some Rose players, including Copper and Reese. The team began the league with one win in four games. Their improvement was gradual, starting with a victory against the first-place Laces. They became the first team to beat the Laces and continued their success by defeating the Lunar Owls after the in-season 1v1 tournament, making them the only team to win over the Lunar Owls in a regular season game (13-1).
Angel Reese’s Impact on the Rose
The WNBA star finished the season with three accolades: Defensive Player of the Year, named to Second Team of the Season, and rebounds leader. She contributed to the scoreboard as much as she contributed to the rebounds. Her presence on the court for Rose BC contributed mainly to the team’s success, averaging 12.1 rebounds, with 8.5 coming from the defensive end. She also averaged 13.3 points per game.
Previous Meetup
The Rose came in the finals with a 2-1 advantage over the Vinyl from the regular season meetups. The Vinyl earned a spot in the championship game the hard way, having to beat the number one-seeded Lunar Owls. It became the second of the two teams to defeat the Lunar Owls. Reese didn’t play the semifinal games either. Suited up for the games were Hull, Hillmon, Chelsea Gray, Stevens, and Sykes. In prior meetings, both teams had a low-scoring game with minimal points difference, with the highest being a 14-point difference in Roses’ win over Vinyl.
The Championship Game
The first half featured basket-to-basket action and a change in the leading team, and the second quarter was no different. At the end of the first quarter, the Rose were ahead by three points (19-16). The Vinyl took the lead at the end of the second quarter, 37-32. Toward the end of the third quarter, the Rose were trailing by one point, but at the buzzer, Chelsea Gray nailed a deep three-pointer from half-court, giving the Rose a two-point lead. The race to 62 points unfolded in the fourth quarter, with each team battling for the lead. However, the Vinyl remained stuck at 49 points, allowing a six-point gap that the Rose capitalized to secure a 62-54 victory.
Key Statistics for the Championship
Rhyne Howard, who played all the minutes for the Vinyl, scored 22 points and picked up six rebounds. Aaliyah Boston and Jordin Canada combined for 20 points for the Vinyl. On the other hand, Stevens had a high of 18 rebounds, with 16 from the defensive end. She also contributed 19 points to the team. Sykes contributed 21 points and Chelsea Gray contributed 18 points.
Awards
Each player on the winning team received $50,000, which generated considerable excitement among WNBA fans urging the league to use Unrivaled as an example of the pay that WNBA players deserve. This was further demonstrated in the in-season 1v1 tournament, where the winner took home $200,000 and a $50,000 bonus to distribute among teammates. The runner-up earned $50,000, and each semifinalist left with $25,000.
