Early in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon, Chelsea Gray took control of the Las Vegas Aces' offense and surveyed the scene in front of her. She wanted to get the ball to A'ja Wilson in the post, but the Golden State Valkyries wouldn't allow it, so she quickly shifted her vision and skipped a pass across the court to Jewell Loyd, who buried a wide-open 3-pointer.
The assist was Gray's sixth of the game and her 1,134th in an Aces uniform, which moved her past her coach, Becky Hammon, for the most assists in franchise history. Gray now has 1,941 career assists, which is sixth all-time and second among active players, trailing only Courtney Vandersloot.
Gray finished with 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals as the Aces beat the Valkyries in dramatic fashion, 84-79, for their first home win of the season. The Aces also got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Wilson -- who surpassed Hammon on the Aces' all-time scoring list earlier this season -- and 27 points, five rebounds and five assists from Jackie Young.
"She's awesome, it's unbelievable," Hammon said, after joking that she was going to pull Gray out of the game to keep her record for a few more days. "She's one of the greatest to ever do it. It's actually fun for me, because who cares about records? They're meant to be broken and you want the next generation to be better than your generation, and they are. I'm super proud of who Chelsea is."
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 6, 2026
Gray, 33, said her record wouldn't be possible without the "great players" she's played with in Las Vegas. On Saturday, she assisted Wilson, Young and Loyd, who have a combined 17 All-Star and 11 All-WNBA appearances. She also noted that she was aware she was closing in on the record earlier in the week, but had forgotten by tip-off time.
"It's a testament to all the players that I've been able to play with," Gray said. "I've played with some great players and I'm currently playing with great players. You need a little help to get those assists, so I'm just blessed to be in the position that I am -- healthy, having fun doing it and enjoying the moment."
Aces' all-time assist leaderboard
| Player | Games | Assists |
|---|---|---|
Chelsea Gray | 110 | 1,134 |
Becky Hammon | 135 | 1,133 |
Jackie Young | 179 | 1,087 |
180 | 946 | |
143 | 841 |
Gray, the No. 11 pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, spent the first six seasons of her career with the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks before signing with the Aces in free agency in 2021. Since her arrival, the Aces have never won fewer than 24 games in a season and have never been eliminated prior to the semifinals of the playoffs. They've also made four Finals appearances and won championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025.
Gray, who was named Finals MVP in 2022 when the Aces won their first-ever title, was already firmly established as one of the best players in franchise history. The assists record only cements her place.
"It's crazy to me, and it happens so often. We'll come in and I'm about to call a play and she calls the exact same play. It happens so frequently, I'm about to say something and it's like she's reading my thoughts out there," Hammon said. "I'm thinking in my head, I'm like, 'I was just about to say that.' Her mind is a beautiful mind for the game."
"She's gonna smash that record," Hammon continued. "She's got a lot of years left."
