Unrivaled’s first in-season trade left Rose BC in a strange position. The club lost Azurá Stevens to the Hive but didn’t get anyone in return. On the Rose’s club page, Shakira Austin, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Sug Sutton, and Lexie Hull are listed next to an Unrivaled logo and the words “coming soon.”
Whoever that mystery addition is, the Rose’s 64-90 loss to the Mist proves that they don’t just need a sixth player. They need a real difference-maker. That is easier said than done, though, because where do you find a true difference-maker in the middle of the season?
Some fans are speculating that Angel Reese will re-join the team because she plays the same position as Stevens and her and Copper have had some social media exchanges about her potential return.
Rose didn’t stand a chance against Mist
After a relatively even 24-26 first quarter, Rose lost its grip on the game and was down 37-55 after the first half. The Rose won the fourth quarter by two points but were still miles away from the target score.
The Mist won the game in pretty much every category. They shot more efficiently from the field, the 3-point line, and the free-throw line. They also grabbed more rebounds on both sides of the floor, dished out 20 assists compared to the Rose’s nine, and committed fewer turnovers and fouls.
Arike Ogunbowale led the way with a pretty efficient 29-point performance off the bench. Allisha Gray added 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and Veronica Burton played a strong game with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Stewart recorded her sixth double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Shakira Austin led the way for the Rose with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Chelsea Gray played an uncharacteristically inefficient game. She finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal, but shot 1-5 from three and turned the ball over five times. Haley Jones, who made the most of her opportunity out of the development pool, was the only real bright spot for the team.
To make matters even worse, Gray exited the game with an apparent ankle injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return. Whether that is because she couldn’t return or because she and head coach Nola Henry didn’t want to risk a more serious injury when the game was already pretty much out of reach is uncertain. Losing Gray would end the team’s season, no matter who joins the team, but, fortunately, the team doesn’t have another game until February 20, giving Gray plenty of time to rest and recover.