2-time WNBA champion giving Aces needed boost off the bench

With 6:28 on the clock and the Aces leading by five during their 104-91 win against the Dallas Wings Sunday, All-Star point guard and 2022 WNBA Finals MVP Chelsea Gray made the play of the game.

Gray, facing an expiring shot clock, threw down a series of hesitations and behind-the-back and through-the-legs dribbles, then drove to the rim. She was met by three Wings defenders, but somehow found a crease to throw the ball back out to teammate Alysha Clark, waiting at the left wing of the 3-point line.

“I saw three people jump, so I knew somebody had to be open,” Gray said Sunday. “As long as I get a little bit of hang time in the air, I could maybe find somebody.”

Clark nailed the shot, completing the highlight-reel play. It was her fourth 3 of the night — she was perfect from beyond the arc Sunday, scoring 12 points — and the 30th made 3 of her career.

The 23-2 Aces host the 14-11 Atlanta Dream at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Michelob Ultra Arena, where they will be looking for even more contributions from Clark.

Of the 58 players to reach the 300-made-3s milestone in WNBA history, Clark’s 38.86 3-point percentage ranks sixth, according to Across the Timeline. She only trails sharpshooting legends like Sue Bird, Allie Quigley, former MVP Elena Delle Donne, current Duke coach Kara Lawson and the Aces’ own Kelsey Plum, who actually holds the highest percentage at 39.42 percent.

“(Clark)’s been huge for us on both ends of the floor,” Gray said.

The Aces’ depth has taken a massive hit during the past couple weeks. Two-time MVP Candace Parker’s fractured left foot promoted impactful reserve Kiah Stokes into the starting lineup. The team also has to deal with the fallout from Riquna Williams’ arrest in connection to a domestic violence investigation, with her absence from the Aces’ rotation being the least-important consequence.

Clark, in the meantime, has been the team’s most consistent reserve by a large margin. She’s continued to do what she’s done her entire career, be an elite role player who can shoot and defend multiple positions. It’s the same skills which helped Clark win two championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020.

Through 25 games, she’s averaging seven points, on 48.5 percent shooting while making 42.5 percent of her 3s. Clark is also averaging three rebounds and 0.6 points despite playing her least number of minutes per game (21.7) since 2014, her third season in the league.

Clark is also on a bit of a hot streak from 3. She’s 12-of-18 — 66.7 percent — during her past five games and has scored at least six points 16 times this season, including six of the past seven games.

Her integration into the Aces’ system has seemed flawless at times, but Clark said she did have to make adjustments upon her arrival in Las Vegas. The veteran wing had started 207 of her past 212 regular-season games before joining the Aces. She said learning the rhythm of being a reserve took some time.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Clark said. “You just go out there and do what you do, so there’s no extra added pressure for me. I’m used to that. I’m used to being in this type of position.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.