The Las Vegas Aces punched their ticket to the WNBA semifinals on Tuesday night, sweeping the Seattle Storm in two tightly contested games and setting up a blockbuster rematch with the top-seeded New York Liberty. The showdown will revive all the intensity and unfinished business of last year’s fiery Finals.
As Las Vegas continues its pursuit of a historic three-peat, much of the national attention falls naturally on three-time MVP A’ja Wilson. Yet the Aces’ true stabilizer — their secret engine — remains Chelsea Gray. Affectionately dubbed the “Point Gawd,” Gray is the team’s emotional core and strategic mastermind.
With her orchestrating the offense, the Aces look confident and complete; without her, they’re simply not the same team. Her return earlier this season from a foot injury instantly restored the rhythm, poise, and connectivity Las Vegas had been missing.
“She’s always thinking one play ahead — looking to set us up, but also ready to score when we need her to,” Wilson told ESPN after the series-clinching win. “If the game’s tight, you want the ball in Chelsea’s hands.”
Seattle pushed the Aces to their limits. Game 1 saw Kelsey Plum struggle from the field while Wilson fought through a tough shooting night. In Game 2, the Storm erased a double-digit deficit and tied the game in the fourth quarter. Both contests could have swung in Seattle’s favor — but each time, the Aces settled themselves, largely through Gray’s command.
Her late-game presence in Tuesday’s clincher proved decisive. Re-entering the game with seven minutes remaining and the Aces up by three, Gray delivered a sequence of big defensive rebounds, pinpoint assists to Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum, and a smooth mid-range jumper.
Las Vegas closed out an 83–76 win as Gray quietly steered every possession.
Gray’s importance was evident early in the season. While recovering from the leg injury she suffered in the 2023 Finals, Las Vegas stumbled to a 5–5 start — the roughest stretch under coach Becky Hammon. Once Gray returned, the team immediately rattled off six straight victories and regained its championship-caliber identity.
And when the postseason arrives, Gray elevates to another level. In 2022, she delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in league history, earning Finals MVP with dramatic scoring surges, elite playmaking, and clutch shot-making. Her legend began even earlier, during the Los Angeles Sparks’ 2016 title run, when she scored 11 straight points in the decisive Game 5 to seal the championship.
Now, eight years later, Gray stands as the seasoned architect behind the Aces’ dynasty chase. Wilson anchors the interior, but Gray controls the game’s tempo, mind, and momentum from the backcourt.
The path to a three-peat will be steep, but one thing is clear: the Point Gawd is locked in, healthy, and ready to lead Las Vegas into another heavyweight showdown.
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