Chelsea Gray is doing Chelsea Gray things again, and we love to see it.
When Gray returned from injury in June, the hope was that she would return to the level of play that earned her the Point Gawd nickname from Candace Parker. But Gray didn’t quite look like herself for several games. The chatter surrounding her only grew louder when the Olympics arrived, and the veteran guard looked anything but stellar.
“With all due respect, [expletive] them,” Gray told Katie Barnes of ESPN. “My résumé and what I’ve done at this point speaks volumes, and what I bring to a team is why I was on the team.” And Gray’s right. She’s not a volume guard, per se. You don’t expect a 30 points and 10 assists outing every night. But she has three WNBA championships, a Finals MVP, six All-Star selections, one of the league’s best court visions and a killer signature fadeaway jumper that vouches for her being a top-notch floor general.
The Point Gawd is showin' OUT 🎥
Back-to-back dimes gets the crowd going in the 2Q
SEA-LVA on ESPN 📺 | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/CZtR4KuWQC
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 25, 2024
Playoff Chelsea is THAT deal 🗣️#WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google https://t.co/dCSZymv8eE pic.twitter.com/M133wed4hr
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 25, 2024
Gray exploded against the Indiana Fever on September 13 (21 points, six assists and one steal) and hasn’t looked back. In the last five games, she’s averaging 14 points, six assists and one steal, including a clutch performance against the Storm that set up an Aces-Liberty rematch.
Gray’s teammates, Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson, recognize how much she’s needed on the floor. Plum recently told reporters, “Chelsea impacts winning…ask any player in the league…I guarantee they want Chelsea Gray on their team with five minutes left, tie game…”
Wilson echoed those thoughts, saying, “Chelsea is a pass-first point guard…It seems like all of her shots are like the back-breaker ones that we need — right on time, right on target…when the game [is] on the line, put the ball in Chelsea Gray hands.”
Kelsey Plum with high praise for Chelsea Gray postgame:
“A lot of people put up numbers — and that’s no fault of them. But Chelsea impacts winning. Ask any player in the league, any high-level player, I guarantee they want Chelsea Gray on their team with five minutes left.” pic.twitter.com/P0pLW1a7Z7
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 25, 2024
Kelsey and A'ja showing love for Chelsea ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9Gs3fvnwO5
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 25, 2024