Angel Reese didn’t need to be on the floor Monday night to make her presence felt. After her team, Rose BC, clinched the inaugural Unrivaled championship with a 62-54 win over Vinyl, Reese took to X, formerly Twitter, with a message aimed at doubters: “WHAT YALL GON SAY NOW??” with a rose emoji.

Reese missed the championship game due to a left hand injury — her second consecutive absence — but remained a central figure in Rose’s success. The WNBA Chicago Sky forward had anchored the team’s defense during the regular season, earning Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in rebounds (12.1 per game) and posting standout performances, including a 22-point, 21-rebound game against top-seeded Lunar Owls.

Without Reese and fellow All-Star Kahleah Copper, Rose leaned on veterans Chelsea Gray, Azurá Stevens and Brittney Sykes to finish the job. Gray, who was named playoff MVP, recorded 18 points and eight assists. Stevens added 19 points and 18 rebounds, while Sykes sealed the win by drawing a foul and hitting the game-winning free throw.

Coach Nola Henry praised her team’s perseverance during the trophy presentation.

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“From day one they counted us out. Kah went down, they counted us out. Azurá was out and they counted us out. Angel down, they counted us out. What they going to say now,” Henry said, as reported by Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

Unrivaled, a women’s 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, completed its first season with Monday’s championship. Rose began the season 1-4 but won seven of their last nine games.

Each player on the winning team received a $50,000 bonus and equity in the league. The format, designed to provide high-level offseason play, concluded with the first title going to a short-handed Rose squad that defied expectations.

“Everyone in the locker room, we know what we are capable of,” Copper said. “We know what we could do. And you know what we did? What did we do? No. 1. In the inaugural season. Shoutout to Unrivaled!”