The Unrivaled excitement should be at an all-time high in Sephora Arena on Friday night.
Not only does the Week 6 action begin with a battle between Phantom and Laces (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV), the second and first place teams in the standings, but the second game will welcome the return of Angel Reese, when Rose takes on Hive (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV).
Reese’s Unrivaled arrival should thrill all fans, whether or not your allegiances lie with Rose.
Most simply, the more great players who suit up in Unrivaled, the better. And Reese is a great player. The 305 Barbie averaged an 11.6-point and 10.8-rebound double-double for Rose across 14 games last season. Those numbers earned her All-Unrivaled Second Team honors, while she also was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, an award she garnered largely due to her best-in-the-league defense against eventual MVP Napheesa Collier.
Reese will provide an needed injection of energy for Rose: running in transition, going all out on the glass and assuming tough defensive assignments.
The defending champs have experienced an up-and-down season, with wins often requiring clutch-time heroics from 1-on-1 Tournament champion Chelsea Gray.
However, even if Reese plays productive and positive ball, her presence might not have the immediate, winning impact envisioned. As Gray discussed when on the Unrivaled broadcast on Tuesday night, it’s going to take time to re-integrate Angel and re-establish a rhythm, even if she has experience playing with Gray, Kahleah Copper and Lexie Hull.
Critcally, Reese and Shakira Austin will have to learn to play together.
Not only has Austin been way too effective to see her minutes cut significantly for Reese, but, last season, Rose had success with two-big lineups featuring Reese and Azurá Stevens, whose departure to Hive opened the way for Reese’s return, as Rose sent out Stevens in the three-player swap without receiving a player in return. Yet, Austin is a different style of big, lacking the shooting touch of Stevens and preferring to flex her physicality around the basket. When on the court with Austin, Reese might need to play from the perimeter more often, tapping into her point forward skills and continuing to experiment with her outside shot.
On Friday night, the mere adrenaline rush of Reese’s return might be enough for Rose to get a needed win. At 5-6 and in fifth place, Rose’s postseason spot is far from secure. Plus, it was Hive that sent Rose to their first loss of the season, spoiling Rose’s 4-0 start with the unexpected 78-75 win.
At 3-8, thus needing every win to keep their playoff hopes alive, Hive will be angling for another upset.
And Hive is particularly well equipped to give Rose problems, and that’s not only due to any intel Stevens can provide or the extra motivation the former Rosebud might carry into the matchup. With Stevens, Monique Billings and Ezi Magbegor, Hive has a surfeit of size that can make Rose’s efforts to experiment with Reese-Austin lineups go awry. Billings will battle Reese for every board, Magbegor provides rim protection and Stevens can remind Rose of what they’re missing by stretching the floor and sinking a couple of 3s.
While no one will be surprised if the Point Gawd pulls another victory from the jaws of defeat for Rose, another Hive win also shouldn’t be a shock.
Don’t miss the battle between Unrivaled’s very best
Last time Phantom and Laces met, the Solemates squeaked by the Ghost Gang, winning 76-75 on a pull-up triple from Brittney Sykes.
Laces starting triumvirate of Sykes, Jackie Young and Alyssa Thomas powered them with 17, 17 and 19 points, respectively, while Phantom’s dynamic duo of Kelsey Plum and Aliyah Boston combined for almost 50 points, with KP scoring 25 and AB adding 23.
While that quintet of players all could assuming starring roles again on Friday night, both clubs sit at the top of the standings because of their reliable depth.
For Laces, Naz Hillmon has three double-doubles on the season, Maddy Siegrist has three games with multiple 3s and Jordin Canada swiped three steals in her first game back from an injury on Monday night. Phantom can turn to Kiki Iriafen, who has six double-digit scoring games from off the bench, while Natasha Cloud has been on fire from behind arc, shooting better than 40 percent from 3. Their third starter, Tiffany Hayes, has provided consistent across-the-board production.
However, the most interesting matchup is the 1-on-1 game we were denied: Thomas vs. Boston.
Will Boston’s combination of size and skill allow her to overpower Thomas on offense, as she also uses her defensive length and smarts to stall AT’s forays to the rim? Can Thomas apply of her veteran savvy to neutralize Boston’s offense, while also baiting AB into fouls that send her to the bench?
Tune in for a tilt that could determine which club finishes the season in first place.
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