Unrivaled's day one of week 3 - now only one team is undefeated

Friday's games both had the fire of the WNBA playoffs and the desperation as well. There now stands just one undefeated team at Unrivaled.

If the first day of Unrivaled’s inaugural weekend was filled with excitement and holding-your-breath-type wonder, Friday night of week three had all of that and more.

Let’s get right to it. Game one, the opening act for the game we’ve been waiting for, was no sleeper…

Game one, Rose 65, Phantom 75

Stand back, ladies. Sabrina Ionescu has returned, and she’s not wasting any time. Between Ionescu’s seven of 10 and captain Satou Sabally’s three of four from beyond the arc, the Rose didn’t stand a chance…although they tried. This was the Phantom team that came to play from their first win against the Mist. Ionescu led the Phantom with 32 points, 11 of 18 from the field, nine rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. Next, Sabally had 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and five personal fouls; now former Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Natasha Cloud combined for 23 points, seven rebounds, and six personal fouls. Physical much?

The Rose had a memorable showing with Azura Stevens leading the team with 19 points, although she couldn’t capitalize on her stellar three-point shooting - she was 0 for five from three, which is very unlike her. Captain Chelsea Gray, who played 15 minutes, was always on the court, with 16 points and six assists. Angel Reese had 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds against Griner. You had to see Miss Reese; she was all “Griner who? I’m the big girl here!” Well, that was her attitude anyway. Kahleah Copper was Kahleah Copper, all over the court, with ten points and nine defensive rebounds. She and Reese, boxing out, tried their best to make sure the Phantom did not get any second shots.

At the half, Phantom was shooting 60% from three while the Rose, with 25%, struggled from three. At the end the Rose were shooting 42.9% from the field and 18.8% from three. They topped the Phantom in rebounds 33 to 31 and steals four to two - it was the assists. The Phantom had 17 to the Rose’s eight. The Rose team took care of the ball better with only four turnovers to the Phantom’s 10 and personal fouls 11 for Phantom and Rose four!

Of course, although they tried their hardest, the Phantom got the better of the Rose, pulling away in the fourth quarter. Finally, Sabally, with the three-pointer with the assist from Ionescu, got their second win.

Game two, Lunar Owls 75, Lacess 73

Please read it and weep, Aces, I mean Laces fans. The Laces are no longer undefeated. They got beat by the Lunar Owls. When I say beat, I mean these two teams beat up on each other fiercely. Neither team wanted that one in their loss column. Here’s how it went down.

If you missed this game, the highlights will not tell the whole story. The physicality was crazy… yeah, crazy is the only way to describe it. Each team had 18 personal fouls! Of course, the Owls’ Allisha Gray and their captain and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier led the way with five fouls each, and Lace’s Tiffany Hayes fouled out with six in the fourth quarter. Jackie Young made her Unrivaled debut and promptly had four personal fouls. I’m telling you, one or two of these ladies went sprawling with each possession on both ends of the floor. But in the interim, boy, did they play some ball!

The Laces shot an impressive 27 of 48 for 56.3% from the field; they were incredible. They were eight of 18 from three for 44.4%, actually doing much better than the Owls. They sent the Owls to the line 13 times (of which the Owls missed four - (what is going on with not making free throws?).

On the other hand, the unbeaten Owls shot 28 of 48 from the field for 58.3%, including four of 11 from beyond the arc for 36.4%. They had 24 rebounds to the Laces' 22, 13 assists to the Laces’ 10, and seven turnovers to the Laces’ nine.

This game was so close, and any team could have been the victor at any moment. It was fast-paced, and neither team got stops, so the lead changed hands with most possessions. Collier had four fouls in the second quarter (can you say hack?). Hayes got a technical, and the fouls were mounting up on each side. It was great! This was definitely the best game of the first three weeks. With 1:30 left in the half, the score was Owls 39, Laces 38, but when the quarter ended, the Owls were down eight, and it looked like the Laces were going to run off with the game.

The Laces opened a ten-point lead in the third, and it was up to Allisha Gray to continue her three-pointers. The Owls' defense and physicality started turning the game around, and a careless Hayes foul on Collier with 5.9 left in the third quarter had the game Laces 64 and Owls 62. The game would be won by the first to reach 75.

I have to say it again: This was a very good game! Jackie Young scored seven points in a row to start the fourth, and before long, the Laces only needed four points to become Unrivaled’s only undefeated team. The Owls would get close but not close enough until…

Not so fast ladies…Skylar Diggins-Smith (remember her - “hootie hoo”) would score and get the and one, tying the game at 71. Owls take the lead a Collier basket.

Hayes (of all people) fouls Diggins-Smith and the Laces challenge the call - unsuccessfully. Diggins-Smith makes the free throws and wins the game for the Owls. It’s a kinda flat ending to a high-powered game. With “Don’t help me up, you’re not my teammate” and everything.

Collier led her team with 26 points and seven rebounds. Gray followed her with 19 points six rebounds and like Collier, five personal fouls. Diggins-
Smith had 16 points and four fouls.

Kayla McBride led the Laces with 26 points and eight rebounds; Hayes followed with 17 points, five assists, and six fouls. In her debut, Young had 12 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four fouls.

Miss Tee…

I am unapologetically a New York Liberty fan, so watching Sabrina go off with a bandaged hand was incredible and shuts out all the noise about her being in Paris (doing her Nike job). And the Laces’ loss was pleasing. I said what I said. Move on. Now, I wish the Mist could get a win.

The only complaint I have about Unrivaled is the interviews during the game. There is too much going on to concentrate on anything being said during the interview. They would be better during timeouts when we could do without listening to the coaches…I could, anyway.

That’s it from Unrivaled Week Three Friday games. On Saturday, the Vinyl will take on the Mist, and the Laces might get back to winning against the Rose.

Stay tuned for a free agency/trade update!

Until next time…