Unrivaled’s Rising Stars: Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese Lead the Rose to the Semifinals
As the clock ticked down the final five seconds of the first half in Unrivaled’s climactic regular-season showdown between Rose BC and Vinyl, the spotlight was firmly on Chelsea Gray. With the grace and precision of a seasoned dancer, Gray maneuvered around Dearica Hamby, showcasing her agility and skill.
Gray’s footwork was impeccable as she jab-stepped to the top of the key, then deftly pulled back and shifted to her right, narrowly evading Hamby’s defense. With a defender’s hand in her face, Gray rose for a midrange jump shot. The ball swished through the hoop as she fell to the ground, a testament to her finesse and accuracy. Rising to her feet, Gray acknowledged the crowd with a confident look, licking her lips before making her way back to the Rose bench.
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) March 11, 2025
Heading into Unrivaled’s debut season, Chelsea Gray faced a barrage of questions: Would her defense be a liability? Would the foot injury that sidelined her during the 2023 WNBA Finals and the first 12 games of the 2024 season continue to haunt her? And, as Gray herself pondered, did she still have the magic touch?
Determined to “quiet the noise,” Gray set out to prove her critics wrong. Her performance against Vinyl, where she nailed eight 3-pointers and racked up 33 points, was a resounding statement that she was back in top form.
“Damn Chels, that’s a lot of 3s,” she quipped to herself post-game, a grin spreading across her face.
This drive to silence doubters has been a unifying theme for Gray and her Rose teammates, including Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes, Azura Stevens, and Lexie Hull, both on a personal and team level.
After a rocky start to the season with a 1-4 record, the Rose found their rhythm, embarking on a five-game winning streak in early February. This impressive run included handing the league-leading Lunar Owls their sole defeat of the season. The Rose closed the regular season on a high note, winning seven of their last nine games.
Now, they enter Sunday’s semifinals as one of the league’s hottest teams.
“I’m always the person who believes it’s not the way you start the season, it’s the way you finish it,” Gray reflected. “Midway through, you want to start building those habits and chemistry and camaraderie. … I think that’s where we took a huge step forward. … You want to be playing your best basketball, no matter what, going into the playoffs.”
As the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the Rose (8-6) are set to face the No. 3 Laces (7-7). The winner will advance to Monday’s title game to face the victor of the other semifinal between the No. 1 Lunar Owls (13-1) and No. 4 Vinyl (5-9).
- Each member of the title-winning team will earn an additional $50,000 in prize money on top of their Unrivaled salary.
Gray’s dominance has been a key factor in the Rose’s resurgence. She scored at least 26 points in seven of the Rose’s final 10 regular-season games, including a 38-point game that matched a league high.
“I’m healthy,” Gray stated. “That’s the biggest thing for me. Your body is your body of work when you are playing a sport. Then two, having the mindset to get back at it … coming in here with the mindset of trying to get better every single time you play.”
Another crucial element has been her growing chemistry with Angel Reese and Reese’s overall development throughout the Unrivaled season.
Like Gray, Reese arrived in Miami with a point to prove. After what she described as a “disappointing” rookie season cut short by a left wrist injury, Reese was determined to get healthy and expand her game.
She aimed to continue dominating the boards while broadening her offensive skills, avoiding being pigeonholed as a one-dimensional player.
“Looking down the long road, sometimes I think, ‘How many years am I going to be able to get these double-doubles and all these rebounds,'” Reese mused. “I continue taking shots, risky shots I guess, and shots that people don’t expect me to take. This league, you want to win and play the right way, but work on things that lead into the WNBA season.”
Reese has spent considerable time working with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who dubbed Reese the “2.0” version of herself.
With the Chicago Sky’s young roster in 2024, Reese lacked veteran guidance in the WNBA. She sought extra time with Gray and fellow Rose teammate Kahleah Copper in Miami.
Reese concluded the regular season as the league’s leading rebounder, averaging 12.1 per game. She recorded eight double-doubles, including a historic 22-point, 21-rebound game — the first 20-20 performance in Unrivaled history — against the Lunar Owls on Feb. 21.
“Being here at Unrivaled has been the best thing for me,” Reese said.
ANGEL REESE (2/21/25) pic.twitter.com/D26eV6BBBS
— @balapattyszn (@balapattyvids) February 22, 2025
Reese, Gray, and the rest of the Rose are acutely aware of the opportunity that lies ahead in the playoffs. To secure victory, the Rose know they must minimize turnovers, maintain their aggressive defensive style, and avoid unnecessary fouls. If they can achieve these goals, and if Gray and Reese continue their stellar performances, they have a legitimate shot at the championship.
“There are times when your journey, things just fall into place right away. And other times you have to fight through a little hit of adversity to get to where you want to go,” Rose coach Nola Henry remarked. “The trust and the belief were there from Day 1. We didn’t have any doubt in our mind about what we were capable of, as long as we put the team first and everybody did their job.”
Originally Written by: Kendra Andrews
