Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Rose Basketball Club ended their first two Unrivaled matchups with a pair of losses. The Rose ended their first two games with a point differential of -15, Former Sky guard Kahleah Copper scored a combined 40 points in Rose BC's first two games. Guard Chelsea Gray added 35 points and a team-leading 12 assists.
The Rose will face the Mist next Saturday. The Mist fell in a close 4-point loss to the Lunar Owls in Unrivaled's inaugural matchup, which saw Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith hit the game winner and score 21 points.
Angel Reese showing glimpses of improvement on offense
While it wasn't all sunshine for the sophomore forward, Angel Reese showed she was starting to bloom in some crucial areas on offense in Rose's close loss to the Vinyl.
She ended her first two games with 22 points and 20 rebounds, including a team-leading 14 boards on Friday. Reese scored the Rose's first two points quickly after the game tipped off, using a pump fake to counter a potential block before scoring an open layup on the inside. The 6-foot-3 forward seemed to be more confident from the mid-range, including on a step-back against Vinyl center Aliyah Boston with just over a minute left in the first quarter.
Reese will still have to work on her efficiency after hitting three of her seven shot attempts in her Unrivaled debut. Still, if she can continue to improve on the offensive end, she can be a valuable part of a Rose squad looking to earn its first win on Saturday.
Two days, two dominant opposing scorers
Vinyl BC's Rhyne Howard and the Lunar Owls' Napheesa Collier each led their respective squads with more than 30 points in Rose BC's two losses. Howard, a two-time All-Star for the Atlanta Dream, hit half of her 12 3-point attempts as the Vinyl took a 6-point win. Collier led all scorers with 31 as she seemingly couldn't miss from the paint and off tough jumpers.
The Rose must learn to counter opposing top scorers as they move on to face the Mist on Saturday. Guard Jewell Loyd dropped 34 points in Unrivaled's inaugural game. She used her signature scoring to work off the Mist's forwards, which led to a handful of makes from the 3-point line. The Mist feature one of the league's founders in forward Breanna Stewart, who led her New York Liberty with 20.4 points per game last season.