WNBA Sensation! Aces Star Gray Unleashes Record-Tying Barrage of Nine 3-Pointers!

The Las Vegas Aces secured a decisive 105-89 victory over the Portland Fire on Thursday night, a game prominently featuring Chelsea Gray's record-tying performance from beyond the arc. Gray's exceptional shooting was a key factor in propelling the Aces to their win.

Chelsea Gray matched a WNBA record by sinking nine 3-pointers, going 9-of-13 from deep. She achieved this historic feat with 2:53 remaining in the game, joining four other players in the record books, with Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard being the most recent to accomplish it twice last season. Gray reflected on her performance, stating, "I had a couple of games where I was, 'OK, I'm hitting them in practice, but not here.' But you know, this is just about trusting the work." She concluded the game with 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting.

Beyond Gray's individual brilliance, the Aces showcased strong team play. A'ja Wilson led the team in scoring with 32 points and emphasized the foundational trust within the squad, saying, "Our trust is something we have been growing forever. Our trust, our communication, just the kind of person Chels is. She's a great character person. ... There is a real connection that we have, and you see that on the court." Other significant contributions included Jackie Young's 10 assists and eight rebounds, and both NaLyssa Smith and Stephanie Talbot grabbing 10 rebounds each.

Aces coach Becky Hammon praised Gray's versatility and impact, noting, "It's nice to have Jackie where you can get Chelsea off the ball, because she is a really good shooter. A lot of the times, the ball is in her hands and she's getting us into offenses where she's passing. So at times it's nice to get the ball out of her hands and let her do some of the easier work." Hammon also highlighted Gray's consistent elite performance, adding, "But I mean, her numbers are always [up there]. She flirts with 50-40-90 every year."

Despite the comfortable win, the Aces faced initial challenges from the Portland Fire, who are in their inaugural season. Las Vegas admitted to having early issues contending with Portland's tenacious full-court press defense, which they applied nearly every possession. Gray noted, "We knew that they were going to do that, but until you actually see it, it feels a little different." The Aces struggled particularly with paint scoring, with the Fire holding a significant 32-4 advantage midway through the second quarter.

The Aces made crucial adjustments to regain control of the game. Gray explained the team's adaptation strategy: "Who do we want to take out the ball? How do we want to run? How do we want to get into our sets? Because we don't want to be playing half-court offense with only 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Once we were able to do that, it got better for us." Getting more comfortable defensively was also vital. Hammon acknowledged the early defensive lapse, stating, "I don't think I've ever seen our defense that bad. We switched it up a little bit ... and we were able to get some stops and run." She concluded by commending Portland's feisty team while affirming her own team's resilience.