After the Las Vegas Aces’ win over the Atlanta Dream on August 3, cameras caught A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray engaged in an animated conversation. In the Aces’ last game, Wilson was at the center of a controversial call that saw the ball slip out of her hand, but the officials ruled in favor of Las Vegas. So, as clips of Wilson and Grey’s back-and-forth made rounds on social media, fans wondered what they were discussing. Thankfully, Wilson cleared the air after the game.

During an appearance on WNBA on NBC, Wilson was asked about the interaction, and the reigning MVP revealed that she was teasing one of her oldest friends in the league.

“[Allisha Gray] is an animated player. I know her through and through. So I was just telling her I really didn’t make all that contact for her to act the way that she was acting. But she sold it. She got the call. So proud of her,” A’Ja Wilson told NBC.

The exchange she mentioned occurred earlier in the game when Wilson was called for a foul on Gray in the first quarter. That call was eventually upgraded to a flagrant, leading to the Aces attempting to challenge the call, which they lost.

Wilson’s comments made it clear that there were no hard feelings as a result of the exchange, and instead humorously drew attention to Gray’s ability to sell foul calls. The interaction itself shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has followed either player’s career.

The two were teammates at South Carolina under legendary head coach Dawn Staley, where they led the Gamecocks to the 2017 national title before being drafted into the WNBA. That history has created a friendship that extends beyond the battle on the court.

Leading up to the game itself, Gray has built a reputation as one of the most vocal players in the league, highlighted by her comments during a game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 4. Already upset with officiating, Gray was interviewed on the sideline, calling out the refs on live TV.

“The refs are trash, but we’re moving on from that. We just got to lock in, stick to the gameplan and keep playing aggressive,” Gray said.

However, despite thier mentality, the Las Vegas Aces dismantled the Dream 109-87 on Barbie Game Day, despite a strong double-double performance from Angel Reese. In fact, even the Dream coach was impressed.

Karl Smesko credits Aces’ championship-level display after Dream’s five-game streak ends

After A’ja Wilson and Co. snapped the Dream’s five-game winning streak, Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko had no trouble admitting his team ran into an opponent playing at their best level.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Smesko praised the Aces for delivering what he saw as the strongest performance of the season by the defending champions.

“This is one of those days where I don’t really care who the Aces were playing; they were going to win,” Smesko said.

“I’m sure this is one of their best games of the season. They were coming off a disappointing loss, and hopefully we have the same mindset coming off a loss. They reached a level today that was definitely a championship level.”

Other than Wilson, who logged 23 points on an efficient 8-11 from the field, the Aces saw Jackie Young take control of the game, logging her third career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Smesko also thought that Vegas maintained its relentless offensive pressure throughout the entire game, not allowing the Dream defense to settle as they capitalized on scoring opportunities. Smesko also highlighted the defensive strategy the Aces used, focusing on interior star Angel Reese while letting the rest of the roster shoot. It worked; the Dream shot a combined 4-24 from long range.

For Las Vegas and A’ja Wilson, this win was the kind of complete performance that serves as a reminder of the defending champions being the favorites to continue their championship-winning ways.