The Las Vegas Aces has struggled with consistency throughout this young season. If everyone didn’t understand the importance of Chelsea Gray, they most certainly do now. Gray’s absence has really hurt the Aces offense, they have been out of rhythm this season. They’ve relied on young players to try to fill a void but that’s easier said than done. The Aces’ will be getting their star point guard back on Wednesday vs the Seattle Storm.
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 18, 2024
“Not only have we missed her mind and her passing and her scoring, we’ve missed her spirit,” Hammon said of Gray, who was the WNBA Finals MVP two years ago and last postseason was averaging 15.6 points and 6.8 assists in the playoffs at the time of the injury.
“When you have that kind of hunger and that kind of drive to get back because you haven’t had it for so long, it does bring a different kind of edge. It brings a different kind if energy and focus, and hopefully that aspect of Chelsea’s game will be contagious for us.”
The Aces have already equal their loss total from last season as they’re 6-6. Gray’s absence is a big factor, but the defense is allowing 104.2 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 10th in the 12-team league.
Cautious return
The defending champs can’t wait to get Chelsea Gray back on the court but they certainly have been cautious in her return.
“We’re going to see how that goes and evaluate and make an in-game call then,” Hammon said. “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.”
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
