Two weeks before Unrivaled crowns its first champion, the Rose punched their ticket to the playoffs in what would end up being a low-scoring battle against the Laces on Monday.
Two of the league's top scoring defenses lived up to their names in the 58-53 Rose victory, as neither side was able to hit more than 43% of their tries from the floor. Guard Chelsea Gray ended the night with a game-leading 26 points as she knocked down a variety of jumpers. While Laces guard Kayla McBride tried to counter with 20 points of her own, it would ultimately be the Rose's toughness and tenacity that would push them out of an early deficit and seal the win with a Gray game-winner.
Forward Angel Reese, a rebounding machine for the Rose and a breakout star from the Chicago Sky, used her eye for controlling the boards to bring down 17 rebounds. Her dominance on the inside was only matched by Laces forward Alyssa Thomas, who nearly logged a triple-double and excelled when driving to the basket. It will be up to the Rose to continue unlocking Reese's potential in the paint as they move on to Unrivaled's first-ever playoff tournament later this month.
How will Reese improve upon her star skillset as the Rose continue to push through their Unrivaled schedule?
Scoring off the pick-and-roll
From her positioning to her timing and ability to effectively back players down, Reese has proven she can be what the Sky need on the interior from the end of Unrivaled's 1-on-1 tournament break.
Reese's rebounding has continued to be second to none since she first suited up for the Rose in January. She is leading Unrivaled with an average of 12.3 rebounds per game, which she only further built upon in her dominant rebounding performance on Monday. The 6-foot-3 forward has seemed to buy into Hall-of-Fame center Lisa Leslie's promise to improve her finishing, as she has taken on a more disciplined approach when facing off against defenders in the paint.
Still, Reese could continue to improve her game in one key area with her new Unrivaled teammates, especially as the Sky invested in a few key players this offseason.
Reese proved she could be a decent pairing with one of the Sky's most notable additions in guard Ariel Atkins on the pick-and-roll in Monday's win. Reese showed some signs of working off a scoring guard in the pick-and-roll in the past with guard Chennedy Carter, who assisted her 20 times last season, but could be more of a threat for Chicago if she can become more involved on screens and rolls as she has with Gray in recent games. Guards like Courtney Vandersloot, who has proven to be a fantastic passer and effective off the pick-and-roll in the past for Chicago, can do wonders in getting Reese more involved and elevating her arsenal for the foreseeable future. With time, and plenty of reps, it may only be a few short months until the sophomore sensation proves she can truly be a star for the Sky.