Aliyah Boston and the Vinyl win their first matchup, downing Lexie Hull and the Rose 79-73 in a physical contest.
After what was a fast and furious Game 1 between the Mist and Lunar Owls, Game 2 saw the two squads take more of a halfcourt approach. The Rose, especially, made it a point to get the ball inside. Rose forward Angel Reese scored the first four points of the game, once off of a nice feed from teammate Chelsea Gray and another off of a free throw after setting the tone inside.
After both teams spent the first five minutes feeling each other out, the offense started to pick up for the Vinyl. Fever forward Aliyah Boston checked in and was at the center of the action, using her strength both down low and on the pick-and-roll game. She finished the first period with two points and four rebounds, two of which coming on the offensive side of the ball. Vinyl would end the first period up 23-17.
The game stayed close in the second period, mainly due to the amount of fouls committed. The physical play of players like Boston, Reese, and Dearica Hamby kept the pace low, leading to more halfcourt opportunities.
The first half ended in a 39-39 tie. Vinyl's Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 16 points.
The third period belonged to the Vinyl, as Howard and Hamby started to take over. The Vinyl went on a 20-8 run in the first four minutes. Howard, herself, added 11 points to her total, continuing to push the pace and take high-quality shots.
Rose's Lexie Hull made a solid contribution off the bench, providing that spark on both offense and defense that Fever fans are so accustomed to seeing. She finished with three points.
After a nice finish to the third for the Rose, the Vinyl led 67-58. With the winning score established at 78, the Rose had work to do. Even with three Rose players (Reese, Gray, and Kahleah Copper) in double figures, Howard's production for the Vinyl was just too much defensively for the Rose.
The game became a chess match in the final period. Both teams took advantage of multiple stoppages to switch approaches and personnel, and a ton of whistles meant that most of the scoring took place at the free throw line. The Rose went on a run, though, and cut the lead to 73-71 down the stretch.
The Rose ended up putting themselves in a tough situation, allowing themselves to put the Vinyl into the bonus. Howard, herself, hit three free throws for six points in the final period.
With a 77-73 lead, the Vinyl pushed the pace off of a Rose miss and finished the game on an acrobatic assist from Ogunbowale.
Aliyah Boston finished with six points and four rebounds, a solid outing in her first contest. She and the Vinyl will take on the Phantom on Monday.
Hull and the Rose have a quick turnaround, going up against Skylar Diggins-Smith and the Lunar Owls on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.