Chelsea Gray-led Rose best Vinyl for the inaugural Unrivaled championship
The ultimate deciding factor for the Unrivaled championship was pretty simple.
One team had Chelsea Gray while the other team did not.
Gray’s timely scoring and decision-making played a pivotal role in the Rose’s 62-54 victory over the Vinyl in the inaugural title game Monday evening. Undoubtedly the best player on the court whenever she stepped on the floor, Gray was named playoff MVP.
“I just put the work in, do my job and talk after winning,” Gray said from the podium, the MVP trophy to her left and bottle of Clase Azul tequila to her right. She finished 18 points and eight assists. “I don’t talk before that. I just do my job and want to compete and make others better, honestly.”
That Gray either scored or assisted on eight of team’s 11 points in the fourth quarter should come as no surprise. She is affectionately known as the ‘Point Gawd,’ after all.
“Thanks to Chelsea for carrying us all season long,” Rose coach Nola Henry said. “As I told everybody early, she’s our real MVP.”
Gray’s competitive fervor couldn’t be diminished – even if she was a bit under the weather and the Rose were down two of their best players in Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper. The point guard had a point to prove, no pun intended.
“Hell yeah I was motivated ,” said Gray who missed most of the 2024 WNBA season with a fractured foot that she suffered in the 2023 Finals. “Last year was hard. It was rough. Even when I came back I wasn’t 100%.”
Added Gray: “I had a little chip on my shoulder.”
The Rose jumped out to an early lead over the Vinyl thanks to the two-man game between Gray and forward Azurá Stevens who added 19 points and 18 rebounds.
“She was so efficient tonight,” Gray said. “She was huge. Getting inside the paint, rolling, playing defense.”
Added Stevens: “Obviously Angel is not here. We all know that we had to step up. And with me being the other big, I just knew I had to bring my A game.”
The second quarter saw the Vinyl go on a run of their own to take a 37-32 lead into halftime. Vinyl guard Rhyne Howard led the effort with 11 points on 80-percent shooting in the second alone. She finished the game with 22 points, six boards and shot 36-percent from the field. Vinly coach Teresa Weatherspoon praised her team’s effort and resiliency as many counted the team out, especially considering the loss of captain Arike Ogunbowale to injury.
“I’m proud of their effort,” Weatherspoon said. “I’m proud of how they competed. I’m proud of how resilient they were in our time being here. They never gave up; they don’t even have that give up spirit. We don’t even own a towel to throw in.”
Once the third quarter buzzer sounded, it became Gray time. She dished out two assists in the quarter but also added nine points, three of which came on a halfcourt buzzer-beater.
Then came the fourth quarter. Gray had long since had a reputation as clutch — she led the league with seven game-winners, one of which came in the semifinal — but it wasn’t even her that notched the final bucket. That honor belonged to Brittney Sykes whose got fouled on her made layup and hit the free throw to seal the game.
“We always saying preparation is what has fueled us throughout the season,” said Sykes whose 21 points led teammates. “Literally before we played the game, me and coach [Shenise Johnson], we literally worked on the slow step where I got the And-1.”
As the final buzzer sounded and confetti shot through the air, the Rose whipped out a shirt that they had customized for the win. The front of the shirt had ESPN’S preseason rankings in which the Rose were picked to finish last. Copper and Henry had hung the leader board in the locker room to light a little fire under the team.
It’s safe to say that Copper and Henry’s idea worked.
“We know what we’re capable of and we know what we could do,” Copper said. “And what we do?”
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 9:26 PM.
