Chelsea Gray is set to make her season debut Wednesday during the Las Vegas Aces' matchup with the Seattle Storm. Gray, arguably the best point guard in the world, has not played since Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals due to a foot injury.
Gray is not on a specific minutes limit, and Aces coach Becky Hammon said she will determine her playing time during the game.
"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."
Gray's absence has been a major reason for the back-to-back champions' disappointing start to the season. Entering Wednesday they are stuck in seventh place at 6-6 -- six games out of first place -- and have already lost as many games as they did all of last season.
The veteran somehow took her game to yet another level last season, when she averaged 15.3 points, four rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, all of which were career-highs. With Gray orchestrating everything, the Aces posted a 113.0 offensive rating last season, which was the highest in WNBA history. While the Aces' offense has still been strong this summer, it has not come close to reaching those heights.
"Not only have we missed her mind and her passing and her scoring, we've missed her spirit," Hammon said. "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."
Gray's return comes at a perfect time for the Aces, as they're set to conclude one of the toughest stretches of their schedule with games against the Storm and Connecticut Sun, two of the best teams in the league this season.
