WNBA Finals: Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker stay loose with handshake

Chelsea Gray and Candace Parker talk during a Las Vegas Aces practice ahead of the WNBA Finals. (Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)

With another impressive performance in the 2023 WNBA Finals, Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray is feeling the love.

In the Aces’ dominant Game 2 victory over the New York Liberty, Gray posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists. During the 104-76 win, she stayed loose by sharing a special handshake with Candace Parker.

Parker joined the defending champions ahead of the 2023 season, but she has been sidelined since July after undergoing surgery to repair a foot fracture. Still, she has made her presence felt for the team, from her handshake with Gray to her words of wisdom for A’ja Wilson during Game 1 of the Finals.

Two peas in a pod, @Candace_Parker and @cgray209 havin' fun with it 😂#WNBAFinals | @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/7NFaOp2p9q
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 12, 2023

Praise for Gray came from onlookers as well as teammates. The 2023 WNBA Finals MVP, she contributed 20 points and 9 assists in the Aces’ Game 1 win, and she averaged a career high 15.3 points and 7.3 assists during the regular season.

NBA star Draymond Green, who has won four titles with the Golden State Warriors, shouted out Gray on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, writing: “Chill out C Gray!”

Another post praised Gray as perhaps the best passer in WNBA history, even surpassing Ticha Penicheiro — and Penicheiro responded, writing: “She’s better!!! No doubt….she can have that crown!!”

Penicheiro, who won the 2005 WNBA title with the Sacramento Monarchs, led the league in assists in seven of her 15 seasons.