WNBA Finals: Aces starters Chelsea Gray, Kiah Stokes ruled out for Game 4 vs. Liberty
The Las Vegas Aces have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five WNBA Finals series, but the team will be missing two starters in the attempt to secure a back-to-back WNBA championship Wednesday.
Point guard Chelsea Gray, the 2022 Finals MVP, and center Kiah Stokes are both out for Game 4 against the New York Liberty, Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters Tuesday. Both players have foot injuries, she added.
Gray was injured during the fourth quarter of the Aces' 87-73 Game 3 loss on Sunday. She was shown on the broadcast being helped into the locker room in visible pain. The 31-year-old is averaging 15.6 points and 6.8 assists in the playoffs this year. Since joining the Aces as a free agent in 2021, she has missed only one game.
Amid the wait for injury updates on Monday, the Aces canceled an optional shootaround less than an hour before it was scheduled to begin. On Tuesday, Gray and Stokes both entered practice in walking boots.
Gray told reporters she will be evaluated to gauge her availability for a Game 5, in case the series continues.
Chelsea Gray (left foot) is out for Game 4. Said she’ll be evaluated in Vegas to see if Game 5 is possible, if needed. #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/1nmNL0CL1M
— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) October 17, 2023
Stokes, who has been key on defense for the Aces, was using crutches on Tuesday. Her multiple 3-pointers were a highlight as the Aces took a 2-0 lead over the Liberty last week. There wasn't a specific moment of injury during Sunday's game — but the 30-year-old woke up Monday aware something was wrong, she told reporters.
Kiah Stokes in a boot and using crutches . https://t.co/FbFfGMi0bE pic.twitter.com/cdfG9U0rbo
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) October 17, 2023
The loss of two starters is another blow in what has been a series of problems for the Aces this season. Two-time WNBA champion Candace Parker was the team's blockbuster acquisition this offseason. She played in 18 games before undergoing surgery to repair a foot fracture in July.
In light of Tuesday's news, Hammon was asked about Parker's availability for Wednesday's high-stakes game.
“I’ll have to see if she can suit up, maybe," Hammon said.
Kelsey Plum, who led the Aces with 29 points Sunday, will be needed as playmaker in Gray's absence. On Tuesday, she emphasized the entire team's ability to persevere.
"This team has responded all year. We've been through a lot. I mean, shoot, we've been hurt, sued, arrested. You name it, we've done it," she told reporters. "I'm confident in our group. We've gone through a lot of adversity, we'll be ready."
That statement will be put to the test during Wednesday's Game 4 at Barclays Center (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
