Gray’s double-double leads Aces, snaps home losing streak
With four minutes remaining, Aces point guard Chelsea Gray pulled down a rebound, scanned the floor looking for an outlet and found one quickly.
Streaking ahead of the retreating Indiana Fever defense, Aces guard Kelsey Plum had an open lane to the basket. Gray launched the pass, threading the needle between defenders. Her pass landed in front of Plum, bounced up perfectly with a hint of backspin, and she laid the ball in for two easy points.
“I just gave her the ball,” Gray said.
The full-court assist to Plum was one of Gray’s season-high 12 on Thursday as the Aces won 90-77 at Michelob Ultra Arena. A’ja Wilson scored 23, breaking the 20-point mark for the sixth consecutive game, while Jackie Young and Dearica Hamby also reached double figures. Gray added 14 points for her first double-double of the season.
It’s the Aces first win at home since June 19 and snaps their four-game losing streak at Michelob Ultra Arena.
“I told them I really didn’t care about offense,” coach Becky Hammon said. “I just wanted to see them play defense, and they did that for the most part.”
The Aces (19-8) play the final game of their brief homestand at 7 p.m. Saturday when they host the Los Angeles Sparks.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Aces selective from 3
With 3:50 left in the first quarter, Plum curled around a screen on the right wing and found some space from behind the 3-point line. A pass found the All-Star MVP, and she nailed the wide-open shot.
Plum’s shot was the Aces’ first attempt from deep Thursday, just one game after they launched 19 3-pointers in the first half of a 92-76 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.
“As much as I love 3s — you guys all know I love 3s — I love the rim, too,” Hammon said.
The Aces went 10 of 17 from the field in the first quarter. They only took four 3s during that stretch, making half of them. They outscored the Fever 48-20 in the paint for the game.
2. Gray continues tear
Gray was back at her best Thursday night. She orchestrated the offense with precision against the Fever (5-24), finding her spots and staying composed whenever the Aces got out in transition.
Gray had 12 points in the first half, but it was her playmaking and passing which elevated the offense. Gray dished seven assists during the first 20 minutes.
“She’s the head of our snake,” Wilson said. “Wherever she flows, however she goes, it’s an impact on us. When she’s rocking and rolling, we’re rocking and rolling as well.”
The Bay Area native shot an efficient 50 percent from the field, added five rebounds, three steals and finished the game plus-30. Gray is averaging 14.8 points since the All-Star break. It’s the fifth double-double of her career.
3. Mitchell is contained
The Fever are having a rough season. They’re the only team in the league with more than 20 losses, and the 77.8 points they averaged before Thursday is the lowest in the league.
Fifth-year guard Kelsey Mitchell is the team’s lone bright spot. She entered Thursday averaging 18.3 points per game, seventh-best in the league.
Against the Aces though, Mitchell was ineffective. She scored 10 points on 30 percent shooting.
It’s only the second time in the past seven games Mitchell has scored 10 points or less.
“We just tried to make her looks difficult and her life miserable,” Hammon said.
Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.
