Despite A'ja Wilson heroics, this Aces star is the WNBA Finals' unsung hero

Jeremy Beren

Despite A'ja Wilson heroics, this Aces star is the WNBA Finals' unsung hero image

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With one more WNBA Finals win, the Las Vegas Aces will become the league's newest dynasty. The Aces are up 3-0 on the Phoenix Mercury in the first-ever best-of-seven finals series, and Vegas can wrap it up Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center.

No team has produced a WNBA Finals sweep since 2020 -- and though the Aces had close calls in Game 1 and Game 3, Las Vegas is well-positioned to win its third WNBA title in a span of four years under head coach Becky Hammon. While superstar center A'ja Wilson is on course to be named Finals MVP if/when the Aces win the series, another of the Aces' stars is quietly standing out for doing everything else.

MORE: Mercury under fire for response to scary Satou Sabally injury

Aces guard Chelsea Gray turned 33 years old on Wednesday, and she celebrated in style by helping Las Vegas to a 90-88 road win. Though Wilson's 34 points -- capped by a game-winning jumper in the dying seconds -- have captured most of the attention following Game 3, Gray steadily filled up the box score herself, continuing an under-the-radar but vitally important championship series.

Through three games of the 2025 WNBA Finals, Gray -- a six-time All-Star and a former Finals MVP -- is averaging 9.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 4.6 stocks (steals and blocks) per game. In pursuit of her fourth career championship, Gray leads all players on both teams in minutes, assists, steals and blocks per contest -- bringing championship-caliber composure and stability when the Aces have needed it.

Though Gray (37 percent shooting) hasn't quite found her shot in the finals, her ability to do practically anything else on the court at a high level has steered the Aces toward the threshold of an unexpected title. If Las Vegas -- 24-3 since Aug. 3 -- gets the job done on Friday night in Phoenix, Gray will probably have had something major to do with it.

MORE WNBA NEWS:

Jeremy Beren

Jeremy Beren is a freelance WNBA writer with The Sporting News. A Phoenix native, he is a graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and he has a decade’s worth of sports journalism experience. Jeremy's work has appeared in publications such as Marca, SB Nation, Athlon Sports and Vice Sports. He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.