After 14 regular-season games, an intense 1-on-1 tournament and thrilling semifinal battles, Unrivaled’s inaugural season will culminate on Monday with a championship showdown between Rose BC and Vinyl BC in a winner-takes-all finale.
Rose BC punched their ticket to the final by defeating Laces BC 63-57 in the semifinals, while No. 4 Vinyl BC stunned top-seeded Lunar Owls BC, erasing a 10-point deficit (64-54) to claim a 73-70 victory in the biggest upset of the season.
Here’s a breakdown of their semifinal performances and what to expect in the final.
Rose BC vs Vinyl BC Preview
Rose BC, which finished the regular season with an 8-6 record as the No. 2 seed, battled through adversity in the semifinals as they were missing key players Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper due to injury.
Chelsea Gray stepped up in a historic way, scoring 39 points — an Unrivaled record — while adding four assists and three rebounds on 15-for-23 shooting.
Gray carried the team on her own, as none of her teammates reached double figures. Azurá Stevens and Naz Hillmon scored eight points apiece, with Stevens taking eight shots and Hillmon five.
Brittney Sykes contributed six points on eight attempts, while Lexie Hull struggled, finishing with just two points after missing all five of her field-goal attempts.
Despite Gray’s solo effort, Rose BC had enough firepower to get past Laces BC, who were led by Alyssa Thomas with 20 points, Tiffany Hayes with 16 and Kayla McBride with 12.
During the regular season, Rose BC ranked among the lowest-scoring teams in the league, but their resilience and veteran leadership have been key to their postseason success.
They led Unrivaled in rebounding with 37.4 per game, though they will be without Reese, the Defensive Player of the Year, who remains sidelined with a hand injury.
Vinyl BC pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the season, rallying from a 10-point deficit (64-54) to outlast Lunar Owls BC with a 19-6 game-closing run. Even with Unrivaled MVP Napheesa Collier dominating with 36 points, Vinyl BC’s balanced attack proved to be the difference.
Dearica Hamby was huge, finishing with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while also scoring the game-winning layup over Collier. Rhyne Howard led the team in scoring with 23 points, while Jordin Canada and Rae Burrell added 21 and 11 points, respectively.
Entering the semifinals, Vinyl BC ranked second in the league in both scoring with 69.2 points per game and rebounding with 37.8 per game. Their dominance on the glass was critical, as they outrebounded Lunar Owls BC 39-30, including a 12-4 advantage in offensive rebounds.
Rose BC vs Vinyl BC Prediction
Rose BC and Vinyl BC faced each othert thrice during the regular season, with Rose BC winning two of those matchups. Their most recent meeting resulted in a dominant 74-46 victory for Rose BC, though Angel Reese played a key role in that game, contributing 10 points and 13 rebounds.
With Reese unavailable for the final, rebounding and individual star power could determine the outcome.
We predict Rose BC to take home the championship, with Chelsea Gray claiming Finals MVP honors.
How to watch Rose BC vs Vinyl BC
The Unrivaled championship game will be broadcast on TNT and truTV. Fans can also stream the game on Max, TSN+ and YouTube Live. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.