Why is Laces BC vs Vinyl BC game cancelled? Reason behind Unrivaled game called off explored

Unrivaled has decided to cancel the Laces BC vs Vinyl BC game for Saturday, Feb. 8. After Lunar Owls beat Phantom 94-76 and Rose BC did the same to Mist BC 71-63 on Friday, the league announced the first game of tonight's double-header between Laces and Vinyl has been canceled.

With a statement on social media, the league let fans know about the decision while announcing the game originally scheduled at 7 p.m. ET would be moved an hour earlier.

"To prioritize player health and safety, Unrivaled will be canceling tonight's matchup between Laces BC and Vinyl BC. The game between Mist BC and Lunar Owls BC will now tip off in the 6 p.m. ET window at Wayfair Arena, airing on TruTV and MAX," the statement reads.

This Laces BC vs Vinyl BC announcement left plenty of fans wondering why the league had made this decision. When they talk about player health and safety, it's easy to imagine they refer to the injuries Laces suffered in recent days. The situation wasn't good by any means last week, as they were down to three players by the end of their Saturday's matchup against Rose BC.

Alyssa Thomas wasn't available for this game and Tiffany Hayes and Jackie Young left the matchup before it ended. Hayes was ruled out at halftime after entering concussion protocol while Young went down with another injury in the fourth quarter while playing only her second Unrivaled game.

They ended up playing with Stefanie Dolson, who already had six fouls but was allowed to play due to league rules. They lost 83-69 in a game that featured multiple injuries, an ejection and a fouled-out player.

Laces sign Minnesota Lynx guard before Laces BC vs Vinyl BC

Earlier today, before deciding to call off the Laces BC vs Vinyl BC game, the league's official X account shared that the Laces had signed Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Kiki Jefferson to a relief player contract.

Jefferson, selected in the third round of the 2024 WNBA draft with the 31st overall pick, was described as "an all-around good basketball player who impacts the game in a variety of ways" by Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.

It's unclear when she will make her Unrivaled debut, as the situation doesn't look that good for the team. They rank second at this moment with a 4-2 record, only trailing the still-undefeated Lunar Owls (7-0). They have lost their last two games and it seems like they might lose more than just matchups if their situation doesn't improve soon.