Can the Aces win the WNBA Finals without Gray, Stokes? - ESPN

NEW YORK — WNBA fans were anxiously awaiting news on the status of Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray for Wednesday's Game 4 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) of the WNBA Finals after she suffered a foot injury Sunday.

But Tuesday's update delivered a double blow for the Aces. Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon ruled out Gray and center Kiah Stokes for Game 4 with foot injuries. Stokes and Gray entered practice at Barclays Center using crutches and a scooter, respectively.

Hammon said both are questionable should the series go to a decisive Game 5, which would be held Friday in Las Vegas. Stokes said she is awaiting MRI results and word from doctors on her status moving forward, while Gray said she's not holding out hope of playing in Game 5.

After being down 2-0, the Liberty had already swung momentum in their direction with a dominant performance in Sunday's must-win Game 3 — even before the Aces' injuries. Las Vegas still has two shots to come out with a win and secure back-to-back championships. The Aces will just have to do it in a way they haven't had to play for the past two years.

No WNBA team has ever come back to win the title after trailing 2-0 in the WNBA Finals. In fact, teams that trailed 2-0 were swept seven of eight times. The outlier was when the Aces beat the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena to clinch the championship last year.

Could this be the year a team comes back from down 2-0 to win a title, albeit amid extraordinary circumstances?

We examine what Gray's and Stokes' absences mean for Las Vegas in games on Wednesday and potentially Friday, and for the series as a whole. Las Vegas is 0-3 in New York this season.

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