With the WNBA semifinals wrapped up and the championship round set to begin Sunday, the Blue Zone looks at the postseason performances of former Blue Devils now playing in the W:
Chelsea Gray dominates for Aces
It has been another big year for the Las Vegas Aces, as they look to defend their championship against the New York Liberty in the final round of the playoffs. One of the leaders on this year’s Aces team is Duke's former point guard, Chelsea Gray. In Durham, Gray was one of the best to ever do it. Now in Las Vegas, Gray is having another strong season. She has put up double-digit scoring efforts in four out of the five playoff games she has seen action in so far, including a 23-point effort in the second leg of the Aces’ three game sweep of Dallas.
On top of her scoring effort, the former 11th-overall pick has been an outstanding facilitator on a loaded Las Vegas team. In her 23-point showing, she also put up eight assists. And, in a first-round game against Chicago, she had nine. On the defensive end, she has averaged 1.2 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in the playoffs.
The Aces are the betting favorites in this year’s championship, and for good reason. With Gray leading the team alongside star forward A’ja Wilson, this team packs one of the most potent offensive punches in the nation. All signs point to a repeat championship for this year’s very talented Las Vegas squad.
Williams bumped from playoffs
While Gray and the Aces are thus far undefeated in the playoffs, one of their early victims was the Chicago Sky and former Blue Devil center Elizabeth Williams. Williams has consistently seen significant minutes all year, but ultimately could not do enough to fend off Las Vegas and Gray.
She put up four points and 10 rebounds in each of her two playoff games, both of which were right around her averages of 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in the regular season. Additionally, she recorded a total of four blocks between the two games.
Now entering the long offseason, Williams and the Sky will have plenty of time to rest and recover before a new campaign begins in May. Until then, the only Duke alum playing on the floor in the championship will be Gray.
Thomas, Sparks miss playoffs
It was a rough season for former Blue Devil guard Jasmine Thomas and the Los Angeles Sparks, who went an uninspiring 17-23 and fell well short of the playoffs. The 34-year-old saw an average of 12.8 minutes per game, and put up just 2.7 points and 1.3 assists.
That being said, there is hope for this group in the 2024 season. Forward Katie Lou Samuelson will be returning after missing much of the 2023 campaign due to pregnancy, and other players are joining the team via the draft and free agency. While Thomas is aging into a veteran, she has shown that she is still capable of playing meaningful minutes and will be an important factor in the coming years.
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Martin Heintzelman is a Trinity junior and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.