A’Ja Wilson, after her Las Vegas Aces got the better of the Indiana Fever earlier today, decided to shed some light on her teammate Chelsea Gray’s defensive capabilities. However, in the process, she inadvertently made a joke that could be interpreted in more than one way. Coach Becky Hammon would agree.
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Wilson, who recently won her fourth MVP title, declared that Gray could be on the All-Defensive team. She further insisted that just looking at the box scores doesn’t do full justice to her abilities.
It was then that A’ja realized what she was going to say next. “She’s doing a lot that just doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, like you said, the way that she can just get her hands on balls…”
Wilson, understandably, started laughing, although she tried her best to control it. That made it even more difficult for Hammon to control herself, as they both sat in the post-game interview, snickering. Who could blame them? Hands-on balls, although in reference to basketball here, would make anyone, even grown-ups, crack up.
“That’s a woman with a wife,” Wilson continued, turning the situation even more humorous, as even the journalists in attendance chimed in on the laughter. “My bad, sorry,” she added, after Hammon reminded those in attendance, “We love Chelsea.”
Gray, who’s married to Tipesa Moorer, probably wouldn’t mind this joke. These light-hearted moments, after all, make the otherwise intense and overwhelming Q&A sessions fun. Wilson didn’t let the situation get out of hand either. She composed herself rather quickly and went on to further explain why Gray’s such an elite defender.
“This speaks volumes to just her presence that she has on both sides of the basketball… Those 50/50 basketballs that we talk about, those are the ones that we’re gonna need in the postseason. So, for her ability to do that, and understand her assignment when it comes to that, it really helps us.”
The Aces tied the series vs. the Fever 1-1 with their 90-68 win. Wilson scored 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, while blocking 2 shots. Gray got 10 assists and scored 6, which goes on to show what Wilson meant about their impact on both sides of the floor. The stats may not appear flashy, but make no mistake, she played a crucial role in the win.
While Wilson was singing her teammate’s praises, Hammon, 48 years old, kept trying to hide her face, unable to get the “balls” joke out of her head. This led to her and Wilson having renewed fits of laughter.
