The Las Vegas Aces fought their way past the Indiana Fever in a hard-fought 2-1 first-round series to reach the 2026 WNBA semifinals.
However, their championship hopes came to an abrupt end against the Golden State Valkyries, who completed a series sweep with an 87-77 overtime victory in Game 3 on October 9. While the defeat marked a disappointing end to their playoff run, A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray earned admiration for how they handled the loss.
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A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray Draw Praise for Accountability After Aces' Playoff Exit
Wilson finished Game 3 with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but shot just 6-of-19 from the field. Gray added 17 points and five assists. Despite their efforts, the Aces fell short.
In the postgame interview, neither of them deflected the blame. They spoke openly about their own mistakes and what the night meant for the team. As clips of the interviews spread, several supportive reactions followed on social media.
At one point during Game 3, the score was tied at 71 with just seconds left in regulation. After the Valkyries missed a potential game-winner, Gray had the ball with a chance to win it at the buzzer.
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She rose up for a pull-up jumper that looked perfect, but it didn't fall, sending the game to overtime, where the Valkyries pulled away for an 87-77 victory and the series sweep. During the postgame interview, Gray reflected on the miss and said that she "should have hit it." One women's basketball journalist described their response as 'utmost professionalism.'
"Utmost professionalism and accountability here. Every young player coming into the league should watch this clip," Roberta Rodrigues wrote
.
Wilson missed 13 field-goal attempts in Game 3, and she also missed three free throws in the fourth quarter.
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In the postgame interview, she addressed those misses directly, saying she wanted to do everything she could for her team and felt she fell short at points, "So I think that is going to carry over more so than [missing] the free throw or the missed shots."
One user took a different approach, suggesting Wilson felt at peace knowing the team had given all it had and gone as far as it could.
"I think she feels peace knowing they didn't have it in them and it wasn't their time. I love the accountability and hope she really reflects at some point in the off-season. What the front office is doing isn't sustainable for her," the user wrote.
Several social media users praised the players for taking responsibility after the loss. With the team now eliminated, one social media user also encouraged the Aces players to get some rest after the season.
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"Get some rest; you've earned it," wrote one user,
whereas another one said,
"No need for hate; they came, they played, they lost. Go get a well-deserved rest & hopefully next season they'll have more help. Heads up, ladies."
Despite the sweep, Wilson and Gray's postgame comments demonstrated their willingness to own their performances.
This article originally appeared on
Pro Football Network
.
