Led by Brittney Sykes, who had a team-high 21 points, including the game-winning free throw, Rose defeated Vinyl 62-55 in the inaugural Unrivaled Championship Game at Wayfair Arena in Miami on Monday night.
Azurá Stevens, in a remarkable display of skill, added a season-high 18 rebounds to go along with 19 points as she recorded her first career double-double in Unrivaled.
Chelsea Gray scored 18 points in the championship game after dropping a league-record 39 points in the semifinals. She was named 2025 Unrivaled Playoff MVP after averaging 28.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game during the playoffs.
Rhyne Howard had a game-high 22 points for Vinyl.
With the win, each player from the championship team will receive a substantial reward of $50,000.
Co-founded by women’s basketball stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled is a decent brand of basketball. The 3-on-3, full-court game was wide open, which made things fairly exciting.
The league, which raised $35 million, has many investors, including Steph Curry, Alex Morgan, Carmelo Anthony, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Phelps, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Dawn Staley, and Geno Auriemma. Thus, it seems poised to be a solid option for WNBA players who do not want to go overseas during fall and winter. The average salary in the league is over $200,000.
Gray, a key player in the success of the first Unrivaled season, expressed her satisfaction with the season’s outcome.
“The first season is always going to have some bumps and bruises along the road, but it was successful,” she said. “A lot of fans came out, and there’s a lot of energy behind it, but people are already excited about it for next season. When you win, you have a different appreciation or joy about it, but it was a great first season.”
Credit to everyone involved; this was a success, and hopefully, it can continue to grow and improve next year and beyond.
Photo: Unrivaled
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