Chelsea Gray’s recent showings in Unrivaled have caused more than just excitement on the court. The Rose BC’s game against the Lunar Owls on Friday was a moment enough to hold that true. Paired with Angel Reese’s 20/20 heroics, the LV Aces guard would lead her team to a win against the only undefeated team in Unrivaled. The response? The highest of praise from a national reporter. But one, the Caitlin Clark loyals wouldn’t agree with. 

On February 21st, Chelsea Gray delivered a 26-point performance to go with six rebounds and five assists. Reese coming in with 22 points and 21 rebounds herself would help Rose snap the Napheesa Collier-led team’s 8-game win streak. It was a performance that once might have seemed distant for an injured Gray. But here she is, leading her team in scoring with an average of 18.3 points and proving any chatter wrong.

NBC reporter Natasha Esquire had a thing or two to say about that. “Chelsea Gray is the best PG in the WNBA. That hasn’t changed b/c she had a down year returning from injury. The disrespect on her name was ridiculous,” she wrote on X. 

The ‘best ever’ terms have been nothing new to the 3x champion. The impact she had had in leading the Aces to the brink of a back-to-back title in 2023 would have a whole lot of those flowing in. But then there came the injury.

On October 15, 2023, the Point Gawd heard a pop in her left foot, trying to screen Breanna Stewart. But as much as she wanted to dismiss it as just another noise, it would turn out to be a fracture; season-ending and career-threatening.

It had many questioning whether Gray’d ever return to her dominant self. But in June 2024, she returned to the court for the Las Vegas Aces, gradually restoring her rhythm and confidence. She wasn’t 100% right away but you couldn’t deny how immediate her presence was, her leadership, her playmaking ability– it was exactly what her team needed.

Gray’s exploits in Unrivaled have reinforced why she is often called the “Point Gawd.” And although an Opening Night 1vs1 loss to Shakira Austin turned more than a few heads, pointing at her declining years, Gray flashed her old form with dazzling plays and big shots. It was apparent that she was having fun again — something she admitted herself in a recent interview: “There’s been a lot of chatter out there that I ain’t got it. And I’m here, man. So, quiet the noise and keep playing my game, having fun and doing it.”

Her performance felt like a response to that chatter, but some were not swayed.

Natasha Esquire’s tweet supporting Gray wasn’t intended to be controversial — it felt more like a reminder of how great Gray is. But for Caitlin Clark fans, it seemed like another slight toward their favorite player. Esquire hasn’t always enjoyed the best of relationships with Clark supporters, and this comment added fuel to the fire.

The wrath of Caitlin Clark fans

Clark fans weren’t about to take Esquire’s take lying down. They came armed with stats and receipts to make their case. One fan wrote, “Agreed, she’s been killing it! I think it all started when a biased sports reporter said that a compromised CG was 10X better than the best PG in the world right now 😂 and CG recovered, still not better than CC. But she’s doing much better now.” 

The statistics were evidently skewed in Clark’s favor — she averaged her numbers — 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds — in her rookie season, averages that Gray has never achieved in her career. Her best season came in 2023 with an average of 15.3 points. It was enough for fans to lead the coversation. 

“Stats don’t lie. Show me a season in her prime where she has done better than CC, the actual best PG. and in her rookie year. Just say you’re biased and don’t like CC, instead of lying 🤥” another added. “No need for the back and forth on this topic. Just throw up CG’s stats vs CC’s stats,” the next one concluded. 

CC’s history-making triple-doubles in her rookie season only added to list for her fans. Add her most assists both in a season (337) and in a game (19) and you had the comments ending with exclamations. “LOL. Who is the first PG in WNBA history to get 2 triple doubles as a rookie? Who set the record for most assists as a rookie? Who set the league single season assist record… as a ROOKIE!!?”

But it was more than just numbers for some. “Year 1 was better than any season CG put up … Year 2 going to be better,” one fan wrote assuredly. And they weren’t wrong. Clark shattered rookie records as she became First Team All-WNBA and placed fourth in MVP voting in her first season. By comparison, Gray has never finished that high in MVP voting or achieved the same heights. But if we were to talk about a role beyond numbers, few do it better than Gray. 

The 3x champion has been a leader on the court. Her IQ has admittedly been one to make an impact on the Aces. Even as she remained sidelined for that 2023 final run, Gray did not leave her spot courtside empty, guiding her team with every huddle. “I’m the teammate that a lot of people want to be teammates with, that wants the best for others,” she says.

For Natasha Esquire, it could have been about standing up for a veteran player whose contributions have sometimes been underappreciated. But for Caitlin Clark devotees, it seemed an unfair dismissal of the historic ascent of their star.