Recap: Sims, Bell Lead Gold Rush Past Glow, 84-71
NASHVILLE — Guards Odyssey Sims and Kierstan Bell combined for 49 points, including 28 in the first half, to lead Gold Rush to an 84-71 Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball victory against Glow in the Week Three finale at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on Saturday night.
Gold Rush completes Week Three with a 2-1 record, while Glow dipped to 1-2 in the penultimate week of the season.
Sims garnered MVP 2 honors and a game-high 682 leaderboard points after scoring a game-high 28 points. She made 7-of-15 shots from the floor in addition to a 13-for-14 performance at the free throw line while adding four rebounds and five assists.
Bell, meanwhile, secured MVP 1 notice and 625 leaderboard points after pouring in a season-high 21 points, including a 6-for-10 performance from three-point range, with five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Forward Aneesah Morrow chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds for Gold Rush, while center Kiah Stokes grabbed a team-high nine rebounds with two blocked shots.
Forward Asia Taylor paced Glow in the loss with 16 points to secure MVP 3 plaudits. Center Mercedes Russell registered her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Jaylyn Sherrod pitched in 11 points, five rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
KEY MOMENT
Gold Rush took control in the first quarter by using a 9-2 spurt to turn a 9-8 deficit into an 18-10 advantage with 2:57 left in the period. Led by Sims and Bell, Gold Rush continued to extend its cushion and led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter.
LEADERBOARD IMPACT
Sims will remain at the top of the leaderboard entering the season’s final week with 4,612 points, while Bell moved into a captain’s seat after ending Week Three with 3,759 points. Sims will begin the last week of the season with a 322-point lead over guard Rebekah Gardner.
GLOW NOTES
- Forward Asia Taylor authored her fourth double-digit scoring effort this season after finishing with 16 points … It was her first time in double figures since dropping 15 points against Glow on February 11.
- Center Mercedes Russell has posted 10 or more points in five games this season, including three of her last four outings, after totaling 10 points on Saturday night.
- Guard Jaylyn Sherrod tallied 11 points in the loss for Glow, marking her third double-digit scoring output in nine games.
- Guard Bria Hartley crossed double-digits in scoring for the second time this season … She also registered 11 points against Eclipse in her season opener on February 4.
- Forward Natasha Mack was limited to just nine rebounds against Gold Rush on Saturday, snapping a streak of eight consecutive double-digit rebounding efforts.
GOLD RUSH NOTES
- Gold Rush requested a captain’s challenge with 4:01 remaining in the fourth quarter on a defensive foul called against guard Te-Hina Paopao, which was unsuccessful.
- Guard Kierstan Bell, who has scored in double figures in 7-of-9 games this season, authored her first 20-point performance since a string of eight straight efforts to close the 2024 season.
- Bell also tied her career high after knocking down six three-pointers against Glow on Saturday … She also hit six three-pointers against Team Sims on March 22, 2024, with a 6-for-13 effort.
- Guard Odyssey Sims posted Game MVP distinction for the eighth game in a row after her MVP 2 award on Saturday … Her eight-game MVP run stands as the third-longest streak in league history.
- Sims now owns 35 career Game MVP awards, which ranks as the third-highest total by a player in any Athletes Unlimited sport … She has also notched eight or more MVP certificates in three of the last four seasons.
- With a league-high 540 MVP points this season, Sims has moved into a tie for fifth place on the AU Pro Basketball single-season chart.
- Sims also upped her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 33 games after posting her game-high 28 points in the Week Three finale … She also fashioned the 46th 20-point game of her AU Pro Basketball career, including the sixth instance this season.
- Sims evened her all-time record as a captain to 21-21 … In addition, she faced her 21st different captain over five seasons.
- Sims’ 13 made free throws against Glow on Saturday are the most by any player in the league this season.
- Forward Aneesah Morrow has scored at least 10 points in 8-of-9 games this season, including the last four games in a row.
GAME MVPS
- #1 – Kierstan Bell (Gold Rush), +90 points
- #2 – Odyssey Sims (Gold Rush), +60 points
- #3 – Asia Taylor (Glow), +30 points
