After a difficult 0-3 start, Hive finally found their footing with a hard-earned 78-75 win over Rose. Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 24 points and three rebounds, quieting early doubts about her fit in the format. However, the night took on added meaning in the locker room after Saniya Rivers’ letter to her late mother surfaced.

Mitchell’s words in response reflected the trust and support that carried the team through the win. “When we first got here, our coach assigned us all sixes, so you got somebody six, and Saniya Rivers is my six. That’s who I was appointed, and she was appointed to me,” Mitchell highlighted before pointing out how good their bond is.

“Take it kind of personal, knowing that our last month and a half has been when our coach asked us to rely on each other, that’s what it’s been. And so when you got somebody’s six, you got their back and or their front. I have seen her make these strides to kind of be the best player she can be, especially here with unfamiliar territory, so I’m proud of her. I’m proud of my six,” came Kelsey Mitchell’s words straight from the heart.

The letter in question was a direct heart-to-heart between Saniya and her mom about how she misses her every day and how she just wants to feel her physical presence around her. Here’s what Saniya wrote:

“Hey Mom, I know it’s been a minute since. I’ve wrote you. But I miss you, and I wish you were here physically to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Lord knows I could use both. I haven’t felt you in a few days. I hope you’re finally getting the much-needed rest you deserve.”

“I know you may not be able to shine a whole lot of light at once, but a little flicker in the dark every once in a while would be nice. I know you’re proud of me, and I’m gonna continue to make you the proudest mom ever. Anyways, I’m about to head over to the gym to play 2 of your favorite players (you know who they are lol), Wish me luck.”

“Even though I know you would tell me, ‘you don’t need it. Just smile and be you.’ I gotchu mank♡, Talk soon, I love you.”

Maybe it is her mother’s blessings that are helping her excel in her debut season cause if you can keep her one off-day against Vinyls out of the equation, the rest just showed her class. Rivers’ debut saw her make 4 points in six minutes with 2 steals and 1 block.

Coach Rena Wakama definitely has her ladies to thank, like Kelsey Mitchell, Ezi Magbegor, and Sonia Citron, among others, for helping her team, but she was also gracious in complimenting Rose’s star player for her brilliant display.

Rose coach Rena Wakama showers praise for WNBA star

You know you’re doing things right when you get even the rival coach talking about you. And that is exactly what Chelsea Gray is achieving this season with her exceptional play. “I mean, Chelsea Gray, she’s amazing…. So credit to her. Good game to her,” came Wakama’s comment on how impressed she was with the Las Vegas Aces player’s performance.

And it truly has been a start for the ages. Gray opened Rose BC’s title defense with a 35-point, 8-assist performance in a win over Lunar Owls BC, and that was just the start of her brilliance. Not showing any signs of slowing down, she followed up the season opener with 23 points against Vinyl and 37 points against Breeze BC, shooting 7-of-9 from the 3-point line.

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It is all because of her that the team was undefeated till their fated game against the Hive. She is the leading all-over point scorer this season with 32.8 points, the highest 3-point shooter (5.5), and also the third highest assist provider (6.0). Moreover, she is equally helping the defense with her steals (1.8). So she is omnipresent in everything that Rose is doing.

So, with Hive finally securing their maiden win in Unrivaled, will they be able to keep the momentum going? Well, to get the answer, we need to tune in to watch their next game against the Phantom.