NFL
By: Brock Vierra
SHE’S BACK. Chelsea Gray, the five-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA champion made her season debut last night and her play quickly showed how badly she was missed. Gray and co got rolling early and could not be contained as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 94-83. Chelsea Gray is like the sweet melody that flows through your favorite song. She is the flow, the glue, and the exact remedy for what has been an abysmal year for the two-time defending champions.
The presence of the veteran guard proved to be what the doctor ordered as in 16 minutes of work, Gray put up 7 assists and 4 rebounds. What was the bigger impact was how her minutes positively impacted all the guards’ performances. Jackie Young looked like a brand new woman, Kelsey Plum was effective and Kate Martin returned to a bench role that suits her current skills.
How Chelsea Gray Opened Up The Offense
Gray was magical on the night. She added 2 blocks and limited herself to three turnovers as she returned to a standing ovation. Not too bad on her return. Gray’s presence took some of the weight off of Jackie Young’s shoulders. Young flourished with a game high 32 points off of 11-19 shooting. She was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. Gray’s consistency I feel allowed Young to take more risks and play more freely, knowing the bench could take care of business.
Kelsey Plum played distributor. Her 8 assists paired with 11 points was much needed. A’ja Wilson continues to impress. After an emotional press conference, the frontrunner for MVP made a statement with 27 points, 3 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. The stats tells her story but perhaps it could also be the beginning of a new narrative for the team.
Kate Martin is still adjusting but her new role should see more freedom in her play and a faster development, especially if she’s sharing a bench with Gray.
The three point percentage played a massive factor in the victory. The Aces shot 40 percent from behind the arch compared to the Storm’s 25. Considering it was an 11 point win, Vegas’ 8 made threes compared to the Storm’s 4 was a massive factor. Something that has been a theme this season.
Becky Hammon continued with a 8 player rotation. It was more like 7 as Megan Gustafson only played for 3 minutes. Perhaps the 16 minutes of work from Gray in enough to keep legs fresh. Only time will tell if this is the case.
The win now puts the Aces at 7-6 on the season. They sit 5th in the standings. Chelsea Gray, the future lays with you.
For more sports content, watch The Hot Seat. New episodes this summer.
