Becky Hammon, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray. (Getty)Becky Hammon, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray. (Getty)

Back-to-back WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces have not had the best start to their campaign this season. Suffering from multiple injuries, most notably that of Chelsea Gray, the Aces have not been as dominant as they were last year. They currently sit at third in the Western Conference with a 7-6 record.

However, things could change as Gray returned to the court for her season debut in a 94-83 victory against Seattle Storm on Wednesday. She came off the bench, but can be expected to start in the Aces’ game against Connecticut Sun on Friday.

Undoubtedly a cause for celebration, it seemed as if Aces head coach Becky Hammon and guard Kelsey Plum were equally excited about Gray’s comeback. The latter shared a clip on Instagram where she was seen high-fiving and hugging her coach while exchanging words with a smile on her face.

The clip, initially posted by malik.lv, was shared by Plum to her Instagram story along with the following caption:

“Me and Beck cause @cgray209 is back.”

LV Aces will look to resume normal service after Chelsea Gray’s return

There is little doubt that the Aces have struggled thus far on both ends of the court this season. While the loss of Gray was bound to impact the scoring, it was the lack of defensive cohesion that caused concern.

The return of Gray, part of the Aces’ big three alongside Plum and A’ja Wilson, could turn things toward their favor. Wilson in particular has been on a rampage in the WNBA: averaging 27.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.5 blocks per game. Her impact goes hand-in-hand with Plum’s 18.2 points and 4.9 assists.

Gray not only adds points to the roster but she is also a defensive lynchpin who is bound to help matters on the other end of the court. While the 31-year-old was unfit to start against the Storm, she contributed seven assists and four rebounds off the bench to help score a win.

Hammon and the rest of the Aces will hope that the team can look their dominant selves again and continue their rise in the rankings.

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