Chelsea Gray and Paige Bueckers are already making waves in the Unrivaled league, showcasing their exceptional talent and leading their teams to victory! It's early in the season, but the Rose and Breeze teams have quickly established themselves as frontrunners in Unrivaled's second season.
Rose, with their established reputation, are proving their dominance once again. They've already secured a win in their season opener against the Lunar Owls and triumphed over Vinyl with a score of 69-67 on Friday night.
Breeze, on the other hand, are the fresh faces on the scene. As one of the two expansion teams, they're introducing Unrivaled rookies like Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga. Like Rose, they're currently undefeated, boasting a 2-0 record after defeating Hive with a score of 73-62. Let's dive into how each team clinched their wins and maintained their undefeated status in Unrivaled.
Chelsea Gray: The Clutch Player Strikes Again!
For the second consecutive game, Chelsea Gray delivered the game-winning performance for Rose. In their initial game, she sunk a crucial 3-pointer. The match against Vinyl on Friday was a much tighter contest. In the fourth quarter, Rose found themselves trailing 65-59, with Vinyl needing only four more points to reach the target score of 69 to secure the victory. Gray decided to unleash her 'Point Gawd' capabilities and swiftly turned the tables. She inbounded the ball to Azurá Stevens, who converted a field goal, bringing the score to a four-point difference. Following a layup by Courtney Williams, which earned Vinyl some points, Stevens passed the ball to Shakira Austin, keeping Rose within striking distance. Vinyl had a chance to score the winning basket, but Gray stole the ball from Williams, raced coast-to-coast, and hit a near-logo 3-pointer, making it a one-point game. Williams missed the subsequent possession, and Gray then took a leaning 3-pointer to end the game – and she succeeded! She made the basket while falling to the ground, prompting Unrivaled announcer Brendan Glasheen to exclaim, “You are not human! You are not human!” It was the first and only lead Rose had in the contest, but it came when it mattered most. The loss was particularly frustrating for Vinyl, as they had led by double digits for most of the first half. A poor third quarter and an even worse fourth quarter sealed their fate.
For Rose, Gray ended the night with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Austin contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rhyne Howard scored 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting, and Dearica Hamby finished the night with 19 points and 11 boards.
Paige Bueckers: A Basketball Prodigy
Whether it's high school, college, or the WNBA, Bueckers has consistently dominated wherever she has played. It seems Unrivaled will be no exception. Bueckers led her team in points and assists in Breeze’s season opener, and in her encore performance, she scored 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting. She also had 10 rebounds and a game-high 6 assists. Bueckers is nothing short of a magician with the ball. She's always in complete control. Whether she pushes the ball ahead, makes a bounce pass, or executes a mesmerizing skip pass, it typically leads to a good look at the basket and a positive result for her team. Thanks to Bueckers being a willing passer and the offensive firepower Breeze has with Rickea Jackson and Malonga, they controlled the game from the start, never trailed, and cruised to a 73-62 win.
Hive is now 0-2, and while it's important not to overreact to the first two games, things are looking tough early for the other expansion team. They seem a bit undersized, and with Brink and Malonga on the other side, they were outrebounded 42-28 in this contest. Scoring was also an issue for Hive. Both Monique Billings and Ezi Magbegor struggled from the field, converting on just 40 percent of their shots. As a team, they went a horrendous 0-for-13 from 3-point range. Wins aren’t going to happen in any professional basketball league if you are literally never hitting your outside shots.
Hive will play against Vinyl on Sunday, guaranteeing one of these teams a victory this weekend. With Rose and Breeze also playing each other to end the weekend, one of these teams will be guaranteed their first loss before the week is over. I’m not sure how the schedule makers knew this scenario was going to happen, but they’ve cooked up a great ending to Week 2 with these matchups.
What do you think? Do you agree that Gray and Bueckers are already making a significant impact? Are you surprised by the early success of Rose and Breeze? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
