The WNBA Finals are in full swing. On Oct. 8, Bustle and COVERGIRL joined forces for a “Cover the Court” watch party, as the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury duked it out in Arizona, bringing Game 3 of the series to a nail-biting end.

The event was hosted by Mariah Rose, host of the Hoops for Hotties podcast. Rose has been surrounded by basketball her entire life — her father is NBA star-turned-analyst Jalen Rose — and her podcast aims to break down the sports world for, in the words of a recent Instagram post, “the girls, the gays, and the straight men that don’t wanna admit they’re not watching sports.”

Hoops for Hotties host Mariah Rose hosted Bustle x COVERGIRL’s Cover the Court WNBA Finals watch party.Jutharat ‘Poupay’ Pinyodoonyachet

Rose and her podcast sit at the intersection of sports and girly-pop culture, making her the perfect host for an evening full of makeup and making plays.

Cocktails & Competition

Bustle x COVERGIRL basketball jerseys adorned the walls at J.Bespoke cocktail lounge in New York City, where the event was held. As guests arrived, makeup artists clad in referee jerseys provided touch-ups with COVERGIRL products, including their Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence, Clean Fresh Yummy Gloss, Clean Fresh Prime+Refresh Nourishing Milk, and Outlast Lipstain.

After receiving an expert touch-up, guests filed into the back room to catch the tipoff to Game 3 of the series. They snacked on sliders, arancini, and popcorn and cheered over specialty cocktails, like the cold brew- and vodka-based “Buzzer Beater” and the fruity, tequila “Grand Slam.”

A Thrilling Tie-Breaker

Guests chat and watch the Las Vegas Aces play the Phoenix Mercury at Bustle x COVERGIRL’s Cover the Court WNBA Finals watch party.Jutharat ‘Poupay’ Pinyodoonyachet

Guests watched as the Aces’ superstar center A’ja Wilson brought her team to victory, making a tie-breaking shot with mere seconds to spare. With Wednesday night’s game in the bag, the Aces are now up 3-0 over the Mercury, and one step closer to taking their third title in four years. It all comes to a head at Game 4 on Friday, Oct. 10, when the Aces have a shot to clinch the championship.

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