Vinyl And Breeze Advance To Unrivaled Semifinals In Brooklyn

MEDLEY, Fla. — Rhyne Howard scored 30 points to lead Vinyl past Laces and into nan Unrivaled semifinals connected Saturday, while Paige Bueckers’ 29 points led Breeze past Rose to unafraid its semifinal berth.

The Sparks’ Dearica Hamby deed nan game-winning changeable against No.3 Laces successful Game 1 of nan first information of Unrivaled’s playoffs. Once they secured nan 82-69 win, player’s from nan sixth-ranked Vinyl nine — nan past Unrivaled squad to clinch a spot successful nan playoffs — jumped into Hamby’s arms successful celebration.

Dominique Malonga had 17 rebounds and nan game-winning free propulsion to thief Breeze rout Rose, past year’s Unrivaled champion, 69-50 and beforehand to nan adjacent round, which will beryllium played astatine Barclays Center successful Brooklyn connected Monday night.

Top-seeded Phantom and No. 2 seed Mist earned automatic berths to Monday’s semifinals.

The title crippled will beryllium March 4 astatine Unrivaled’s location arena successful Miami, pinch a prize excavation of $600,000 to beryllium divided among players from nan championship-winning club.

Unrivaled announces end-of-season grant winners

Phantom guardant Aliyah Boston, who is entering her 4th play pinch nan WNBA’s Indiana Fever, was named Unrivaled’s Defensive Player of nan Year connected Saturday aft emerging arsenic 1 of nan league’s biggest protect standouts.

Boston, who was besides named to nan league’s second-team All-Unrivaled list, led nan convention pinch 29 blocks successful 14 regular play games and vanished 2nd successful full protect rebounds (111). She besides led Phantom successful rebounds (136) and points disconnected turnovers (39). She averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per crippled — a important leap from her first Unrivaled season, erstwhile she averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.4 blocks.

Boston’s Phantom teammate Kelsey Plum, of nan Sparks, was named First Team All-Unrivaled on pinch Bueckers and Rose defender Chelsea Gray.

Bueckers led her Breeze nine successful points (22.1) and assists (5.5) per crippled and changeable 38% from 3-point scope this season. Gray, who won Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tourney earlier this month, had 4 game-winning baskets and became nan first Unrivaled subordinate to surpass 600 points, 200 section goals, and 100 assists.

Phantom’s Roneeka Hodges was named Coach of nan Year aft starring her squad to a league-best 11-3 grounds successful her first play astatine Unrivaled.

Up next

Phantom will look Vinyl Monday successful nan first of 2 semifinal games successful Brooklyn. Mist will spell against Breeze successful nan 2nd matchup.