August 6, 2026 - 6:50 pm

Who else is better in the clutch than Chelsea Gray?

Despite scoring five points through the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds on Thursday, Gray delivered when the Las Vegas Aces needed her most, first drilling a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime before hitting the game-winning buzzer-beater in the extra period to seal an 86-84 victory over the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

After dropping the first two matchups by an average of more than 25 points at home, the Aces appeared headed toward another difficult night when the Fever opened the second quarter with a 24-2 surge over a five-minute stretch.

However prior to Gray’s heroics, Aces guard Jackie Young kept Las Vegas within striking distance, scoring 22 total points while sparking a momentum-shifting comeback. Young fueled a 24-2 Aces run that carried into the opening minutes of the third quarter, scoring 20 points during a four-minute stretch to erase a 20-point deficit.

Despite an uncharacteristic shooting performance from Aces star center A’ja Wilson, who finished 10-of-25 from the field, she came alive in the extra period and collected her 16th double-double, finishing with a team-high 26 points and 15 rebounds.

The victory improved Las Vegas to 22-9 and moved the Aces into a tie with the league-leading Minnesota Lynx for the WNBA’s best road record at 13-2. It also marked Las Vegas’ first win over Indiana since June 2025, snapping a four-game losing streak.

“We had a play drawn up, and it wasn’t for me,” Gray said. “First of all, A’ja made a great stop defensively. We always say it is going to come down to our defense, and she made a great stop defensively and got it to me on the outlet.

“I slid it to Jackie to make her score the basketball, but she hunted me down on the 3-point line, and I looked up at the clock and knocked it down.”

The biggest reason for the Aces’ resiliency was their defense, as Las Vegas improved to 15-0 this season when holding opponents to 84 points or less.

The Aces disrupted Indiana’s offense throughout the game, forcing 22 Fever turnovers and converting those mistakes into 18 points off turnovers.

Las Vegas also controlled the offensive glass, creating a 12-6 advantage in second-chance opportunities to generate extra possessions when its shots were not falling.

“I am super proud of our defense,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I haven’t been able to say that a lot, but I’m proud of our defense on a night where we struggled to shoot.

“That’s why your defense is important because it is going to give you a chance to win the game at the end, and it really did.”

Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 28 points, knocking down two 3-pointers and converting six free throws while accounting for four of Indiana’s nine points in overtime.

Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston also finished with more than 20 points for Indiana, with Boston recording her 13th double-double of the season and Clark adding eight assists.

The Aces continue their season-long five-game road trip on Saturday against the Lynx in a matchup between the WNBA’s top two teams.

Las Vegas will look to carry its momentum into a battle for the league’s top spot before wrapping up the road trip on Sunday against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.