Right now, there is one team to beat in Unrivaled: Rose BC. Led by Chelsea Gray, the Rose secured Unrivaled’s first championship last season. They lost Angel Reese and Brittney Sykes, but were able to retain Gray, Azurá Stevens, Lexie Hull, and Kahleah Copper, and added Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton to the mix. Austin, in particular, has been an excellent addition. She thrives in the open court and with a veteran point guard like Gray.
The short-handed Lunar Owls didn’t give the Rose much trouble in their season opener. Vinyl BC was much more of a challenge. After the first half, Nola Henry’s club was down ten points. The Rose caught up in the third and eventually won the game by two points after two clutch threes from Chelsea Gray.
Vinyl’s early success against the reigning champions proved that they aren’t invincible or unbeatable. There’s a big catch, however. To beat the Rose, you have to go through Chelsea Gray, and that’s not an easy thing to do.
Vinyl put up a good fight
In the first half, Vinyl’s defense was stifling. On top of that, the team got very big contributions from Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, and Rae Burrell to rival all the firepower on Rose’s roster.
Howard finished the game with 28 points, including six made 3-pointers, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. She was the game’s leading scorer and posed a serious problem for the Rose. Hamby recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Burrell added 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals off the bench and showcased her athleticism.
Despite an overall strong showing, Vinyl wasn’t able to hold on to its lead and compete with Nola Henry’s big lineup that featured Gray, Austin, and Stevens.
Chelsea Gray thrives in Unrivaled
Chelsea Gray was a big reason for the Rose’s comeback. Her shot-making and ability to get the ball to her teammates made all the difference. She finished the game with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Most importantly, she showed up when the game mattered the most. Gray made a free throw worth three points to cut the Vinyl’s lead to 65-59 and close in on the winning score of 69. Then, she set Stevens up for a layup that put the score to 67-63 after a made layup from Courtney Williams. Next, she hit two pull-up threes to win the game.
It was already the second time in two games that Gray sealed the win with a 3-pointer. This time around, there was a lot more pressure than in the first game and Gray still delivered.
Gray already thrived in Unrivaled last season, winning the Finals MVP award. She picked up right where she left off.