Before heading into Week 7, the spotlight was gleaming on 3 teams, the Laces, Vinyl, and the Mist, which of these teams would miss out on the final 2 playoff spots. In my previous article I said that the Mist would be the odd team out of a playoff opportunity primarily because of how deep the Vinyl and Laces are in comparison to them. The Laces were the team to clinch that 3rd playoff spot when they defeated Sabrina Ionescu and the Phantom Basketball Club. Kayla McBride showed up in a big way by pouring in another 25 point performance. She’s going to be a real matchup problem in the postseason because she’s been scoring at will against any and all defenses. She’s now getting help from her returning teammates in Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes, who finished in double figures in both matcha[s form this past weekend. Their absence from the lineup along with Kate Martin’s, were the only reason why they went on a little losing streak in the middle of the season. Prior to their injuries, they were in second place with only one loss that came at the hands of the best team in the league, the Lunar Owls. Now that they have two of those women back, they can actually make a run to win Unrivaled, especially with the way Mrs.Jackie Young and Kayla McBride can score the ball.
The Vinyl were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, as they squeaked they’re way in from a tiebreaker over the Mist. The Mist and Vinyl could’ve each secured that last playoff spot with a win over the past weekend, but both teams lost both of their final two matchups of the regular season. This draws an enormous concern for the Vinyl because of how poorly they played. In their first game of Week 7, they lost to the worst team in the entire league, the Phantom Basketball Club. Vinyl only lost this game by 6 points, 80-74, but the Phantom Basketball Club were without their best player, star guard, Sabrina Ionescu. Another problem with this loss is that Arike Ogunbowale only played 8 minutes due to a leg injury, which is quite problematic because she’s a crucial piece to their scoring attack in the backcourt. She wouldn’t play in the regular season finale against Rose, who’s a playoff team. I knew her absence against Rose would pose an issue for Vinyl because outside of Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard who else would step up in the scoring department. Vinyl would get absolutely blown out by 28 points to Rose in an abysmal shooting performance. Collectively as a team, Vinyl went 0-13 from behind the arc and 18 of 57 from the field. They did this against a playoff team and if they’re going to hoist the Unrivaled trophy they must get Arike back healthy or someone else has to rise up in her absence.
3 Best Games From Regular Season
1. Debut Game:
With the regular season officially completed and the playoffs about to start, let’s review some of the best games and finishes of the regular season. Opening night was one to remember as there were major theatrics, starting with the first game between the Mist and Lunar Owls. Women from both teams brought an intensity that would be carried on for the rest of the season. The target score was set at 84, as the Lunar Owls trailed 78-71 to the Mist. The Lunar Owls would tie it up at 78 all with a crucial and-one from Allisha Gray. Sjylar Diggins-Smith would end up capturing the lead for the Lunar Owls with a deep 3. With the score being 81-78, Breanna Stewart would attempt to tie the game back up with a 3 as well, but she missed and Jewell Loyd followed it up with a putback layup. After that bucket, Skylar Diggins-Smith would end the game with another big-time 3 pointer to win the game 84-80 for the Lunar Owls. This was a magnificent debut game for a league that’s trailblazing a whole new professional basketball experience. The late-game drama and back and forth only heightened the hype of what was to come for the remainder of the competition, what a start Unrivaled had thanks to these two teams battling it out.
2. Rhyne Howard Untangles the Laces Late:
On February 28th the Vinyl and Laces engaged in a rugged battle. The Vinyl desperately needed the win as they entered the matchup at 4-6, while the Laces were sitting right at .500 (5-5). I loved watching this game due to the fast start both teams got out to. They wasted no time attacking each other at the basket. Both teams were trading buckets from the opening tip and Jordin Canada made one of the most beautiful step-through moves I’d ever seen to tie the game up at 4 a piece. The Vinyl would take control in the late part of the 2nd quarter and they were able to stretch their lead out to double-digits in the beginning of the 3rd quarter. The Laces started to wake up as Kayla McBride and Jackie Young started to impose their will on both sides of the ball. Jackie Young started cooking from behind the arc late in the 3rd. She hit two crucial 3’s that cut the Vinyl’s lead to 2. The target score at the end of the game was set to 64 as the Laces trailed 53-50. This is when the game reached its ultimate height of intensity and Alyssa Thomas didn’t fret or back down as she went on a 6-0 by herself to give the Laces a 54-53 lead. There would be 5 different lead changes in the final stages of this game. During that stretch Rhyne Howared showcased how she’s cut from a different cloth by hitting a key deep 3 and a smooth layup to shift the game in Vinyl’s favor. However they found themselves trailing 63-62 with one more bucket left to decide the game. Jordin Canada took a contested jumper to win the game and missed, but DeArica Hamby wouldn’t be denied on the glass as she gathered a crucial offensive rebound. She would be sent to the line to win the game as she was fouled trying to put it back up. Hamby would knock down the free throw to finish off this incredible back and forth game.
3. Meetings of the Unbeateans:
If we are discussing the best games from the regular season, we can’t fail to mention when two undefeated juggernauts met to determine who was worthy of being the top team in Unrivaled. This meeting between the Laces and Lunar Owls lived up to the hype. The Lunar Owls were having to play catchup for most of the game. The Laces controlled most of the matchup thanks to Kayla McBride getting busy on the offensive end. At the time Kayla McBride was on the heels of leading the league in scoring against the current leading scorer, the Lunar Owls’ Napheesa Collier. Both of these ladies didn’t disappoint when it came to dueling against one another as they finished this game with 26 a piece. It was so pleasant to watch these ladies matchup against one another and deliver with such a smooth scoring output. Aside from that impressive duel, this game generated some dramatics in the midst of crunch time. Jackie Young added to her impressive 4-4 shooting night by going on a 7-0 run to stretch the score to 71-66. 75 was the target score and the Laces possessed a 5-point lead until “Queen Phee” got an easy layup to cut the lead back to 3. Skylar Diggins-Smith would follow up her fellow teammates’ bucket by scoring an and-one after rebounding her own missed shot twice. Another possession later, Collier would force a turnover on Kate Martin, which led to a layup for her. This put the Lunar Owls up by 2 points, but not for long as Jackie Young would drive in the lane and draw another foul for the Laces. Young would knock down the free-throw to tie the game at 73.Skylar Diggins-Smith would once again take it upon herself to win the game for the Lunar Owls, as she drove to the basket and drew a foul. She would sink the free-throw to end an Unrivaled classic and keep the Lunar Owls unbeaten.