Yahoo Finance Report: Chelsea Gray to sign with Aces after 5 years with Sparks
WNBA champion and former Los Angeles Sparks player Chelsea Gray is reportedly signing with the Las Vegas Aces, according to The Next.
Multiple league sources tell @TheNextHoops that Chelsea Gray has decided to go to @LVAces. Interest first reported here: #WNBA https://t.co/mQs9NbbMLg
— Howard Megdal (@howardmegdal) January 28, 2021
Gray, who spent five years with the Sparks, is a prized player on the free agent market. The 28-year-old won a championship with the Sparks in 2016, and was an All-Star in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In just under 31 minutes per game in 2020, she averaged 14.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
Gray will also be one of 19 WNBA players traveling to a USA Basketball Women's National Team minicamp in early February to start preparing for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Sparks lose Gray, Parker in quick succession
In less than 24 hours, the Sparks lost both Gray and Candace Parker, who had played for the Sparks for 13 years. Parker is reportedly signing with the the Chicago Sky.
Both Gray and Parker were in line for supermax deals, but so was fellow Sparks player Nneka Ogwumike, a six-time All-Star and former MVP. The Sparks chose to give Ogwumike the core player designation, which stopped her from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Ogwumike and the Sparks have reportedly agreed to a deal that will keep her on the team for several more years.
Sources: WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike has agreed in principal to a multi-year deal to return to the L.A. Sparks. Ogwumike, one of the top free agents this offseason, made her decision after taking meetings with at least two other teams. @Winsidr
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) January 27, 2021
When the Sparks gave Ogwumike their core player designation, Gray and Parker both became free agents. Players can officially begin signing with new teams on Monday.
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