The Las Vegas Aces were able to get over their loss to the New York Liberty and toppled a formidable Seattle Storm on Wednesday. More than the win, however, the back-to-back champions celebrated the return of their dynamic point guard Chelsea Gray. The 31-year-old made her season debut after recovering from a left foot injury she suffered in last season’s WNBA Finals. As much as the fans were glad to see her come off the bench in the opening quarter itself, they were even more delighted to witness the kind of magic she can exhibit when gets the ball in her hands.

The 5x WNBA All-Star got her first piece of action after a wholehearted reception from the Las Vegas crowd. Following this, she didn’t take much time to make everyone’s money’s worth. In the penultimate quarter, with the hosts cruising to victory with a 12-point lead, Chelsea Gray provided the 10,380 people present there an example of her cheekiness when she dished a slick assist to her teammate Tiffany Hayes. As a result, Hayes was able to convert the easy layup.

This kind of phenomenal play was on display throughout the night. Head coach Becky Hammon entrusted Gray with 16 minutes on the hardwood, which garnered a total of 7 assists. In addition to this, the 2022 WNBA Finals MVP contributed with 4 defensive rebounds along with 2 blocks. Consequently, this performance managed to evoke several applauding reactions from the fans.

Fans celebrate the brilliance of Chelsea Gray

Chelsea Gray ended up with the second-most assists for the Aces on the night. This made some fans draw comparisons of her with the “Point God” Chris Paul. The 39-year-old has been an NBA assists leader on 5 occasions (2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2022). The fan wrote, “Chelsea gray is just the wnba version of Chris Paul fr.”

Chelsea Gray had the 340th assist of her career in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals the previous year. Since then, not only the Las Vegas Aces but the fans as well have been missing out on the passing skills of the 5 ft 11 in guard. Seeing her on the court after 247 days, one fan expressed his relief by saying, “I’ve missed the Chelsea Gray bounce passes.”

Alysha Clark connected a beautiful 24-foot three-point jumper through an assist from Chelsea Gray the very minute she stepped foot inside the court. After this, the duo combined 3 more times in the remainder of the game. Inevitably, this enchanted the ones in attendance as well as those watching from the comfort of their home. One of them highlighted it and wrote, “This Alysha Clark/Chelsea Gray duo.” 

The Las Vegas Aces have been off to a slow start. They have allowed 104.2 points per 100 possessions, which places them 10th overall in the league. One of the major reasons cited for this by the analysts was Chelsea Gray’s absence. Therefore, her return not only improved and boosted the team’s performance but also provided some respite for some passionate followers. One of them conveyed that in his comment that read, “It is SO healing to see Chelsea gray back on the court and playing well.” 

The Chelsea Gray pass to Tiffany Hayes gained a lot of traction immediately. The nature of the assist compelled some of the fans to use hilarious GIFs to show their thrill. One fan communicated with one such GIF along with the comment, “That last Chelsea Gray pass tho.” 

There is no denying that Chelsea Gray’s return will affect the Aces in a positive way. She has proven in the past that her skills and balling abilities are an asset to the franchise. Fans will be eager to see her make the starting line-up as quickly as possible.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.