Angel Reese isn’t one to stay quiet—and she definitely wasn’t about to hold back after Unrivaled dropped its regular-season awards. While Napheesa Collier celebrated taking home the league’s first-ever MVP honor, Reese had a different name in mind. Instead of congratulating Collier, she fired off a bold tweet, making it clear who she thought really deserved the crown. And just like that, the simmering rivalry between these two stars just got a whole lot spicier.
Reese and Napheesa Collier’s rivalry has been simmering for a while. It boiled over on March 7 during an Unrivaled matchup between Reese’s Rose BC and Collier’s Lunar Owls. Reese swiped the ball from Collier and sprinted down the court. Frustrated, Collier chased her down and seemed to shove her. The refs let it slide, but the fans didn’t. Collier, who led the league in scoring, jawed at Reese after hitting a tough layup — and made sure Reese knew about it. Just like that, the tension is back.
Unrivaled just dropped its regular-season honors ahead of Monday’s championship game, and Napheesa Collier was crowned the league’s first-ever MVP. But if you think Angel Reese was happy about it—think again.
Shortly after the announcement, Reese fired off a tweet that left zero room for interpretation: “CHELSEA MF GRAY. MV PG. END OF CONVO.” No congrats for Collier. No acknowledgment of her MVP win. Just a clear, unfiltered message—Reese firmly believes Gray was the real MVP.
CHELSEA MF GRAY. MV PG. END OF CONVO.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 17, 2025
And she’s not the only one who felt that way. Plenty of fans were upset that Reese got snubbed for First Team honors despite her strong season and Defensive Player of the Year award. Reese averaged a double-double and dominated on both ends. Many felt she deserved more recognition — or at least a spot on the First Team next to Collier.
And honestly, Reese had a point. Gray made a strong case for MVP with her ridiculous performance in Sunday’s Rose win over the Laces. She dropped an Unrivaled-record 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting, including 21 straight points in the second half. When the game was on the line, Gray drilled a clutch top-of-the-arc three-pointer to seal the 63-57 win and send the Rose to the championship.
And she did it without Reese (out with a hand injury) and Kahleah Copper (who’s missed the second half of the season with a leg injury). Naz Hillmon stepped up with 8 points and 3 steals in her Unrivaled debut, while Azura Stevens added 8 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Collier’s Lunar Owls — at full strength — suffered a brutal upset against the Vinyl in the other semifinal. Dearica Hamby’s game-winning lefty layup knocked out the top-seeded Owls despite their dominant regular season. The Owls had only lost one game all season, making the loss even tougher to swallow.
Collier, though, kept it classy after winning the MVP. “I couldn’t do any of this without my teammates,” Collier said. “This has been such an incredible season, and everyone played a part in our success.” Even with the playoff exit, Collier made sure to give credit to her squad for the Owls’ dominant regular season.
So while Collier may have the MVP trophy, Gray’s clutch performance speaks for itself. And Reese’s tweet? Yeah, it made it pretty clear where her loyalty stands — and it’s not with Collier.
Angel Reese Makes History in Unrivaled
“Being a part of history with you all has been such an incredible experience!” Reese wrote. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. Reese has been making serious noise in The Unrivaled League. She produced the first 20-20 game in league history, averaging 13.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in the league’s debut season.
Reese also anchored the Rose BC defense, helping them hold opponents to a league-low 65.2 points per game. That defensive edge was a big reason Rose turned things around after a rough start.
Rose began the season 1-4 and looked like they might miss the playoffs. But then they flipped the script, rattling off five straight wins — including handing the league-leading Lunar Owls their only loss of the season. They finished the regular season winning seven of their last nine games, making them one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.
Chelsea Gray, who’s been leading the charge alongside Reese, summed it up perfectly. “I’m always the person who believes it’s not the way you start the season, it’s the way you finish it,” Gray said after their final regular-season game. “Midway through you want to start building those habits and chemistry and camaraderie.”
Reese hasn’t just been leading on the court—she’s been spreading the love off it, too. To cap off the season, she surprised her teammates with brand-new Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds. “Hope you enjoy the new Powerbeats Pro 2 as a small token of my love and appreciation for my Roses! … ‘Every petal is needed to make a rose,’” she shared.
Looking back on the season, Reese called it a stepping stone for what’s next—the WNBA season in May. She’s already made history in Unrivaled, and now, she’s ready to carry that momentum straight into the league.
The post Angel Reese Has No Respect for Napheesa Collier’s Unrivaled Honor as She Makes Strong Claim on Roses Teammate appeared first on EssentiallySports.