Chelsea Gray made nine 3-pointers, propelling the Las Vegas Aces to a win over the rekindled Portland Fire 105-89 on Thursday night in a Commissioners Cup game at Modo Center.
Gray finished with 29 points and five rebounds. Six of her 3-pointers were scored in the first half.
The Aces were making their first trip to Portland since 2002 when the Fire franchise went dormant. They have been restarted as an WNBA expansion team.
The Aces, who won their fifth consecutive game, improved to 7-1 on the road to begin the season.
“We have a veteran group, and they have been together for a while, and I think they understand how important the road is, especially early road games when teams aren’t as good, and not as put together as they are in August and September,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon.
Gray surpassed the 20-point mark for the second game. She has now recorded 10 points or more in four consecutive games and eight times this season.
Aja Wilson led the way for the Aces in scoring for the ninth time this season and the seventh game in a row, recording 32 points and five rebounds.
After becoming the fastest and youngest player to reach the 6,000 point mark in WNBA history in the Aces win over the Seattle Storm on Monday, she is now No. 17 on the all-time WNBA scoring list.
The Aces are 4-0 in Commissioner’s Cup games, tied with the Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference, and are one of three remaining undefeated teams in the Commissioner standings.
Las Vegas holds a league-high 31 victories in the Commissioner’s Cup since the tournament’s inception during the 2021 season, but Hammon just sees them as more games on the schedule.
“I want to win every game,” Hammon said. “I do not care if it is the Commissioner’s Cup or not.
“Every game is competitive in the WNBA. There are only 44 of them, and they all matter. I love it when the players can get a little extra cash, but for me, it changes nothing about my approach.”
Aces guard Chennedy Carter returned to the lineup after missing four games with a leg injury, but only played eight minutes and failed to convert on three field-goal attempts.
These teams will meet twice more this season, with another matchup in Portland on July 9 in Portland and on July 28 at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Aces next play the top-ranked Lynx for the first time this season on Saturday for first place in both the Commissioner’s Cup Standings and in the Western Conference.
