After the final buzzer sounded in the Aces’ win against the reigning WNBA champion Sky in the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup, Chelsea Gray huddled around her teammates at halfcourt inside Wintrust Arena. Gray assembled a supreme 19-point, five-assist performance to go along with Jackie Young’s (18 points) and Kelsey Plum’s (24) double-digit production and A’ja Wilson’s massive double-double outing that included 17 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks.
Gray, thrilled for the victory, had thrown on her Commissioner’s Cup champion T-shirt and black fitted cap to celebrate the in-season exhibition win. Just a month earlier, the Aces gave up a 28-point lead at home for Chicago to complete the biggest comeback in league history. But as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert shared her overall remarks at her midseason event, she announced Gray as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
The four-time All-Star, who felt she was snubbed of her fifth All-Star distinction this season, was in some level of shock as her teammates grabbed her in jubilation. In Gray’s eyes lies the blueprint of an unprecedented vision for team success that has never been unilaterally focused. Becoming the face of the franchise? Averaging the most points? That’s not Gray’s mentality. “She’s just the ultimate competitor,” Plum says.
