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Brittney Sykes hits game winner to help Rose beat Vinyl in the Unrivaled championship game

[March 18, 2025] By ALANIS THAMES

MEDLEY, Fla. (AP) — Chelsea Gray came to Unrivaled with a mission.

The veteran Las Vegas Aces guard suffered a foot injury in the 2023 WNBA finals that sidelined her part of last season. When she came back, she felt overlooked by some. Underestimated by others.

Unrivaled's inaugural 3-on-3 women's basketball season was Gray's chance to finally put that injury behind her.

“Last year was hard, man,” she said. “It was rough. Even when I came back (during the WNBA season), I still wasn’t 100%. I just put the work in. And then I talk after winning. I don’t talk before then. So I had a little chip on my shoulder.”

Gray was named playoff MVP on Monday night after helping her team Rose BC beat Vinyl in a thrilling Unrivaled final. She averaged 28.5 points in two postseason games, including 39 points in the semis.

Each player on the championship-winning club received $50,000 — part of Unrivaled’s goal of compensating its participants more than almost any other professional women's sports league. Unrivaled, founded by Napheesa Collier and fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart, has the highest average salary for players of any pro women’s sports league, with many earning six-figure salaries.

Brittney Sykes had 21 points for Rose on Monday and drew an and-1 on the last play of the game that set up her game-winning free throw.

Unrivaled games are played with three seven-minute quarters and an untimed fourth. Teams play to a “winning score” determined by adding 11 points to the squad that is leading after three quarters.

Monday’s target score was 62, and Sykes went to the line with the Rose leading 61-54. Gray finished with 18 points and eight assists. Azura Stevens added 19 points and 18 rebounds. Rhyne Howard led Vinyl with 22 points and six rebounds.

Rose played the game without one of their best players. Angel Reese was sidelined for the playoffs because of a hand injury.

Six teams of 36 of the best players in the WNBA played during the eight week regular season. And there were plenty of memorable moments.

The Chicago Sky’s sensational rookie guard Reese recorded the first 20-point, 20-rebound game in Unrivaled history on Feb. 21. Washington Mystics rookie Aaliyah Edwards shined in Unrivaled’s midseason 1-on-1 tournament. She upset her Mist teammate Stewart, who was a No. 1 seed, in the first round en route to a runner-up finish.

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Rose guard Brittney Sykes (20) drives for the basket defended by Laces forward Alyssa Thomas (25) in their Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball semifinal, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Medley, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Gray dominated in Sunday’s semis, scoring 39 points and the game-winning 3-pointer to send Rose past the Laces into the final.

And perhaps the biggest moment of the season: Dearica Hamby’s Vinyl squad stunned the Unrivaled MVP Collier and her heavily favored Owls in the semifinal round, which Hamby punctuated by nailing the game-winning layup over Collier.

Unrivaled Commissioner Micky Lawler said she was pleased with the league's inaugural campaign. She said next season will likely continue with six teams, but expects the league could expand to other markets beyond Miami in the future. More than 20 players are already under contract for the next two seasons, according to Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell.

“We’re going to look at areas of improvement that we could make within what we delivered this season,” Lawler said. “Starting a league is hard, and running it is also hard. And so we had to stay focused on delivering this, here, now. And then we can start to think beyond.”

The league brought plenty of stars to Miami. Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champ A’ja Wilson, Miami Heat great Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, tennis star Frances Tiafoe and broadcaster Robin Roberts were all in attendance to watch Monday’s final.

Comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, former U.S. women’s national soccer team captain Alex Morgan and former NBA All-Star Steve Nash were among other big names who showed up throughout the season.

Leading up to its launch, Unrivaled raised more than $35 million from various sources and dozens of individual investors, including Stephen Curry, Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma and Coco Gauff.

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