For a moment, Las Vegas Aces fans feared déjà vu. In the third quarter of Game 5 against the Indiana Fever, Chelsea Gray crumpled to the floor after Odyssey Sims stepped on her foot, forcing her right ankle to bend awkwardly. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the 2023 Finals, when a similar injury forced Gray out of action. This time, though, the story ended differently.
Following the overtime win against the Fever this year, Gray was asked about her fitness in the postgame press conference. She kept it simple: “I’m good. I’m good,” putting to rest any fears among fans about her injury. Losing Gray would have been a huge blow, as without her, the Aces probably wouldn’t have made it to the finals.
When Gray came back, it was impressive how she played through the pain, but it wasn’t enough to help the Aces in regular time. She had only two points and two assists on 1-of-6 shooting in the second half, and going into overtime, she had seven points and six assists on 4-of-9. This was far from the dominant performances fans had come to expect in big games. Then something clicked. Whether it was pride, adrenaline, or pure determination, Gray flipped a switch.
