Unrivaled: Chelsea Gray vs. Paige Bueckers takes center stage

Unrivaled’s non-stop action continues on Sunday with an early-season undefeated clash between the clubs led by Unrivaled’s GOAT and Baby GOAT.

What else is their to say about Chelsea Gray? No lead against Rose is safe due to the clutch stylings of the Point Gawd. Gray scored nine points in the fourth quarter against Vinyl on Friday night, capped by the back-to-back triples that secured the defending champs their 2-0 start to the season.

On the other side, Paige Bueckers immediately has made the Unrivaled court her stage. Paige followed up a opening salvo of 24 points, five rebounds and six assists, with a 16-point and 10-rebound double-double that was complemented by six more assists.

However, when Rose and Breeze meet on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET, truTV), could the battle of the bigs be more determinative?

A lineup of Gray, Shakira Austin and Azurá Stevens paced Rose’s Friday night comeback. Flanking Gray not simply with size, but with skilled size, gave Rose a discernible advantage, as Austin and Stevens, who stand 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6, respectively, could close off lanes to the basket on one end and work in two-woman actions with Gray on the other. That Stevens is confident shooting the 3 and that both she and Austin are competent attacking off the dribble endows Rose with even more optionality.

If there’s a team that can match such a lineup, it’s Breeze, with 6-foot-4 Cameron Brink and 6-foot-6 Dominique Malonga. Cam and Dom might be even more skilled than Kira and Z, as both are comfortable taking 3-pointers and putting the ball on the floor. Brink is the best passer of the bunch, while Malonga is the strongest finisher around the basket. (We’re we waiting on the first slam!) The Breeze duo also is just as, if not more, elite as rim protectors.

A fourth quarter fight that features the Gray-Austin-Stevens trio up against Bueckers-Brink-Malonga could be thrilling. And if anyone can steal the Unrivaled clutch magic from the Point Gawd, it’s PB5.

Can Vinyl avoid another letdown against Hive?

In the second game (8:45 p.m. ET, truTV), both Vinyl and Hive will be searching for their first wins.

Unlike Breeze, Hive is experiencing the growing pains expected of a new club. Vinyl’s winless start, therefore, is a bit more concerning. The team is not only too talented be 0-2, but also too talented to have coughed away a pair of halftime leads. Fourth quarters, in particular, have been a nightmare for Vinyl. Held scoreless in the fourth against Laces in their opener, Vinyl failed to go all out to stop Gray on Friday night.

All the more, Vinyl wasted an electric Rhyne Howard performance, as she made six 3s on her way to 28 points.

As Brittney Griner’s game is not well-suited to the Unrivaled setting, in addition to the fact that she is a managing an injury, Vinyl is a bit undersized, a problem against Rose that could emerge again against Hive. Not only do BG’s limitations leave Dearica Hamby as the lone big, but both Courtney Williams and Erica Wheeler are small guards who can struggle when surrounded by size. Vinyl has been at their best with the trio of Howard, Hamby and Rae Burrell, but their roster construction makes it difficult to replicate similar dynamism with other alignments.

As Hive has struggled offensively, defensive-first lineups that look to overwhelm Vinyl with length and athleticism could produce more success. While a combination of Saniya Rivers, Monique Billings and Ezi Magbegor would be light on shooting, that group could use their defense to generate offense, thus avoiding stagnant halfcourt situations. Extending more minutes to Rivers likewise could help Hive find the jolt of extra energy they’ve needed.