After Overcoming Nasty Injury, Chelsea Gray Reflects on Inspired Comeback for Aces

The Las Vegas Aces’ own ‘Point Gawd’ is back! While we are only in the second month of the WNBA season, Becky Hammon’s team has already equaled last year’s number of losses. However, to pull the team back from a series of poor displays, Chelsea Gray has finally made her season debut. The 2022 Finals MVP not only brought back their status to a championship-caliber team in her first game but also a win against the 2nd seeded Seattle Storm.

After the game, Chelsea Gray came to the sidelines to share her excitement for the season opener. “Man, I miss this game so much. Never taking it for granted, you guys. It is a long journey. A lot of crying, a lot of missing nights, a lot of conversations. I’m so thankful to be back here on this court,” Chelsea Gray said in the interview. The 3x WNBA champion also thanked her fans for their love and support through the long injury-laden period.

Gray has missed 12 games this season already. Even tonight, she only played a mere 16 minutes off the bench in limited floor time. While she only bagged 1 point off a free throw, her numbers in the other aspects speak for her game. She contributed to the team with 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks last night.

The reputed player came to the Michelob ULTRA Arena with her parents and received a standing ovation from the fans for her return to the battleground. She had injured her ankle in Game 3 of last season’s WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty. Here is what her coach Becky Hammon and teammate Jackie Young had to say.

The Aces share their excitement for the return of Chelsea Gray

The 5x WNBA All-Star did take to the floor tonight but it was for a short 16-minute period. To this, she responded, “We’re going to see how that goes and evaluate and make an in-game call then. We kind of have a general idea of what we’re doing with her, but it can change one way or another depending on how it goes.”

In the post-game press conference, Gray mentioned how the Aces’ doctors have not given her a timeline of when she can be back as a starter. At the same time, Jackie Young said that it was great to have the 31-year-old point guard back. Young with her 32 points posted yet another 30+ display. As the guard for the 2x reigning champions, she has quickly accepted the position of Chelsea Gray in her absence.

Overall, there is no denying that the presence of a seasoned player like Gray makes the Aces different. It will be intriguing to see how the Olympic gold medalist will change the team’s record now. Next, the Connecticut Sun will travel to Vegas for a showdown of the top seeds. Only time will tell if Chelsea Gray and Co. will be able to take down arguably this season’s best team in their first matchup.

Stay tuned for more such updates. 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.