MINNEAPOLIS – When Game 1 of the 2017 WNBA Finals tips off on Sunday, the Los Angeles Sparks will feature a new starting backcourt with newcomer Odyssey Sims at the shooting guard and Chelsea Gray running the point.

Shortly after Kristi Toliver decided to leave the Sparks in free agency in February, L.A. acquired Sims in a trade with the Dallas Wings to help bolster their backcourt. But Gray earned the starting point guard job thanks in large part to a strong showing as a backup in last year’s Finals in her first season with the Sparks.

“She sort of came on for us late last year in the playoffs in the championship series,” said Sparks coach Brian Agler. “Offensively, she sees the floor, she thinks the game well, she’s a pretty smart defender and she can score in multiple ways … She fits in real well with our core group just because of the quality individual that she is and the competitor that she is.”

“Obviously we’re asking Chelsea to fill a huge role coming in this year and she was ready for it,” said Parker, last year’s Finals MVP. “We asked her to come in and take the reins and play the point guard position.”

Since becoming the full-time starter, Gray’s production has exploded as she put up career-best numbers across the board and finished as the runner up for the Most Improved Player award to Jonquel Jones – whose rights the Sparks traded on draft day in 2016 in order to acquire Gray.

“We saw bunches of what she could do last year, especially towards the end of the season,” said Nneka Ogwumike. “And this year she’s really grown, she matures every day, she’s a leader naturally and obviously a very talented PG. We’re very grateful to have her. She’s like a veteran even though she’s not and that’s another plus.”

This is only Gray’s third WNBA season after a knee injury forced her to miss the latter part of her senior season at Duke and her first season in the WNBA after being selected 11th overall by Connecticut in the 2014 WNBA Draft.

“I think with her she sort of flew under the radar in the draft and also the early stages of her WNBA career because she was injured late in her college career and in her first [WNBA] season,” said Agler. “So she didn’t get off to that really stellar start but if she would have been healthy her senior year, she probably would have gone higher in the draft and she probably wouldn’t with L.A. right now.

“So its sort of come full circle for her in regards to how she was in her college career, then going through the series of injuries and being out with a lot of question marks and then getting her footing and landing on a team that’s a good fit for her.”

Gray’s ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates and herself made her a vital piece of L.A.’s run to the championship last year. When the season was on the line in the closing moments of Game 5, it was Gray that had the ball in her hands and took the shot that Ogwumike rebounded and put back in for the game-winner.

With no timeouts remaining, Gray took the inbounds pass and immediately pushed the ball upcourt forcing multiple Minnesota defenders toward her as she drove the lane and put up the shot. This helped Ogwumike get in position to secure the offensive rebound and make the putback.

After helping the Sparks capture their first title in 14 years, Gray returned in 2017 with a larger load to carry as the starting point guard.

“I think it’s been good,” Gray said of the transition. “I think my teammates have done a great job of helping me with that. Even last year Kristi was talking to me a lot on the bench during timeouts, so it kind of prepared me leading up to this season.

“Then starting off this season, just trying to be aggressive, staying consistent and being a floor general out there. I’ve got to be the ties between Brian [Agler] and me when he communicates out there. So I’m trying to embrace that role, but I have great veterans and we have great leadership in order for me to do the best that I can.”

The relationship between a head coach and point guard is essential to team success. For Agler and Gray, their relationship has become stronger as the year has gone on.

When asked about her relationship with her coach, Gray immediately began to laugh before answering the question: “He’s a great coach. I respect his opinions a lot.”

Gray admits that there is sometimes a healthy tension between the two as they have continued to build their relationship.

“I think it’s always a battle between players and a coach and I think that’s what builds a good dynamic and a trust,” she said. “The point guard has to naturally kind of be close to the coach so you can be a coach on the floor and the general on the floor. But I think it’s evolving, it’s getting better. We’re getting to know each other more.”

Gray – along with Sims – has earned the respect of her teammates as well, particularly the veteran leaders of Parker, Ogwumike and Beard.

“They have made this team completely different because of their mindset and their willingness to want to learn,” said Beard of the new starting backcourt. “I can’t say enough about Chelsea and Odyssey coming into this situation, under Brian Agler, which is pretty tough because he’s so demanding and taking everything in stride.

“They are open to listening to him and doing as he asks and what this team needs and I couldn’t be more proud of them being that they are two of our younger players. They come in with a different type of intensity, mentality and focus that we need in order for us to be the team that we want.”

Parker also pointed to the young duo’s willingness to learn and take constructive criticism of their games in order to lift them individually – and collectively – to greater heights.

“They’re two players that are willing, able and wanting to learn,” said Parker. “And I think that that’s huge. When you have people that accept criticism, and accept growth, that’s hard to find nowadays. I think they’ve done a hell of a job of being a part of a system.”

The Sparks used the regular season to bring Gray and Sims along slowly in order for them to fully understand Agler’s system and what the team needed and expected from them as they built toward the playoffs and their title defense.

“We brought them along a little bit slower and it might not have benefitted us at the time because of how talented they are, but it’s benefitted us in the long run,” Parker said. “Especially you saw in the Finals game with Chelsea, with them knowing the system and being able to play within the system and still score. So I think that’s Coach Agler’s thing. We knew that Chelsea could do that, but we kind of held her back a little bit because she had to learn the system and learn to play the point guard position.”

Ogwumike first saw the potential in Gray long before she was a member of the Sparks. She also knew of Gray’s penchant for the no-look pass, something she has showcased throughout the season and particularly in L.A.’s semifinal sweep of Phoenix.

“Chelsea actually could pass way more of those than she actually does,” said Ogwumike. “That’s her thing and that’s what I’ve known about her, all the way back to when she came to Stanford for an official visit and we just knew that was how she played.”

Ogwumike says – and Gray confirmed – that no players have been tagged in the head by a Gray no-look pass because they weren’t paying attention this season.

“I usually prepare people,” said Gray. “In the beginning of the season I’ll be like if I’m not looking at you that doesn’t mean I’m not going to pass you the ball. That’s my spiel. I’ve hit people in the head before, maybe last year a little bit, but this year, I think everyone knows to pay attention so it’s been okay.”

“When she’s not looking at you, she’s looking at you,” said Ogwumike. “Your head is always on a swivel. It’s the same with Candace. I love it.”

Gray and Parker lead the playoffs in assists at 6.7 per game entering the Finals. And plenty of those are of the no-look variety, something that Agler has a love-hate relationship with.

“They don’t drive me nuts at all if they are completed,” he said with a laugh. “When they’re not, that’s a different story there.

“I sort of let her play the way she wants to play and I think she understands that for us to do well she has to be efficient. So I think it’s important to let these players play to their strengths, but it’s also very important to help them understand what it takes for us to play well.”

Of course, more no-look passes means a higher possibility of turnovers, which will definitely set off the ire of Agler and some stare downs from the sideline.

“I’m sure that I do,” he said, again with a laugh. “But that would be a good question to ask her.”

“Yes he does, definitely,” said Gray. “But it’s all in good faith to bring the best out of me and know when to pick my spots.”

And those spots for a no-look pass will still come in the Finals as Gray says she will not hold her game back with the championship on the line.

“I’ve always kind of had that in my game,” she said. “It’s what I like to do. I always looked at Magic [Johnson] film. The other day I was looking at Ticha Penicheiro’s film, just things like that of that nature. I’ve always tried to mimic some things growing up and it stayed with me.”

Now she gets to play for Magic – who became part of the Sparks’ ownership group in 2014 – and interact with him when he’s around the team.

“It’s amazing. He said something to me and I’m like ‘oh my God I used to watch you all the time and mimicked the things you did’,” said Gray. “There was one pass – I haven’t done it yet because I don’t want to turn it over and have Brian take me out – but it was a wrap-around type thing. I haven’t tried it yet.”

But she may break it out sometime over the next five games.

“You can’t be afraid to take risks though in the Finals – you have to play your game.”