Chelsea Gray Registers Her First Triple-Double


Chelsea Gray amassed her first career triple-double in Los Angeles’ 98-81 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday. The victory was the Sparks’ 450th regular season win as a franchise—making Los Angeles the first WNBA team to reach that mark. And Gray stepped up to help secure the milestone, scoring 13 points, dishing 13 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The point guard fed teammate Nneka Ogwumike behind the arc time and time again by driving into the teeth of the defense, drawing attention, and passing back out. The Mystics had no choice but to collapse on Gray; she played so physically that when help defenders stayed away, she simply overwhelmed opposing guards on her way to the rim for easy shot attempts.

She also skipped passes across the perimeter to Riquna Williams, who combined with Ogwumike to hit ten three-pointers thanks to all the open space generated by Gray. The Sparks made 16 shots from long range in total, a franchise record. Buoyed by the avalanche, Los Angeles improved to 7-6 on the season, riding a current three-game winning streak.

Gray’s triple-double was the eighth in WNBA regular season history and the ninth including playoffs. The effort solidified her standing in the league as a blossoming all-around star—Gray ranks eighth in the WNBA in assists per game with 5.5 while also averaging 14.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

The assist and rebound averages would represent new career-highs for Gray. Last season, she averaged a personal best 5.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds. The 26-year-old has improved those numbers every season since 2016, becoming more of game-changer with each passing year.

After Sunday’s dominant outing, WNBA fans can be assured that Gray is here to stay as a top talent in the league for a long time. Few can control the pace of a game and generate consistent offense like Gray, and she was at the peak of her powers against the Mystics.

Looking ahead, Gray will now try to keep up her recent level of play and help the Sparks rise higher in the standings. And another goal sits on the horizon—Gray could one day be alongside Sheryl Swoopes as the second player in WNBA history with two triple-doubles.

Continue Reading