Forward Angel Reese and guard Kahleah Copper will be out for the Rose Basketball Club during Sunday's inaugural Unrivaled playoff matchup with the Laces, For The Win Staff Writer Meghan Hall wrote in a Saturday tweet.
Reese is listed as out with a hand injury. She was injured during the final game of Unrivaled's regular season against the Vinyl, according to ESPN reporter Kendra Andrews. Copper will continue to sit out with a leg injury. Laces guard Kate Martin will be out with a left leg injury, while guard Jackie Young was listed as questionable with an illness.
Reese, who just earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, played a major role in the Rose building their way up to a second-place spot in the Unrivaled standings. The All-Unrivaled Second Team selection ended the regular season with averages of 13.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and nearly two assists in just over 15 minutes played per game. Just as she had with the Chicago Sky in their 2024 campaign, Reese proved to be one of Unrivaled's best rebounding talents against other notable WNBA bigs and rebounders.
What do Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper's injuries mean for the Rose?
The Rose may now have to turn to guard Chelsea Gray to lift them up to a spot in the league's finals on Monday.
Gray, an All-Unrivaled First Team selection and a leading scorer for the Rose, will need to continue her scoring excellence against one of the league's top scoring defenses. The Las Vegas Aces guard is averaging 21.3 points and 5.4 assists per game, making her one of the league's leaders in both categories. She has hit game-winning shots in all but two of the Rose's eight wins this season, including in their final dominant victory over the Vinyl last Monday. The Laces are the league's leader in points allowed, which has helped guide them to a playoff spot despite having a lower-ranked offense.
Forward Azurá Stevens may need to take on a larger role in Reese's stead as the Rose face forward Alyssa Thomas and the Laces. Stevens has been a decent option off the bench for the Rose and saw two contrasting games against the Laces earlier this season. She ended a February game with 23 points after earning five earlier that week. Thomas, a three-time All-WNBA selection and a five-time WNBA All-Star, will be a player to look out for after nearly earning a triple-double against the Rose this month.