Aces rule Chelsea Gray, Kiah Stokes out for Game 4 of WNBA Finals

NEW YORK – The Las Vegas Aces are still in the driver’s seat to their second consecutive WNBA championship.

The trek to get past the finish line, though, just got steeper as the Aces will not have point guard Chelsea Gray or center Kiah Stokes in Game 4 of the finals Wednesday at Barclays Center due to foot injuries.

Gray and Stokes arrived to practice Tuesday in walking boots; Gray was on a scooter and Stokes on crutches. Coach Becky Hammon did not rule them out for a potential Game 5 on Friday, but Gray said she will get an MRI when the team returns to Las Vegas on Thursday.

It was expected the Aces were going into Wednesday without Gray, the five-time All-Star and reigning Finals MVP. She didn’t play the final 5 minutes of the 87-73 loss to the New York Liberty in Game 3 on Sunday.

Losing Stokes is another matter. Though not an offensive-minded player, the 6-foot-3 Stokes is one of the Aces’ best rebounders and rim protectors, and a complement to A’ja Wilson in the paint.

Hammon said 34-year-old veteran Sydney Colson is expected to replace Gray in the starting lineup. Cayla George or Alaina Coates could spell the minutes for Stokes.

“Next woman up,” Hammon said Tuesday. “Everybody’s going to get a crack. Everybody has to be locked in and ready to go.”

A potential wild card Hammon did not rule out was forward Candace Parker, who has been out since July after undergoing foot surgery. Parker returned to practice before Game 1 of the series but hasn’t been cleared.

When asked if Parker was an option, Hammon said, “I have to see if I can suit her. Maybe.”

Not having the five-time All-Star point guard changes the Las Vegas offense drastically. The Aces trailed 67-61 with 5 minutes remaining Sunday, but the Liberty ended on a 20-12 scoring run once Gray left the game.

The Aces will replace Gray by committee. That means more minutes at point guard for Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, with Colson starting and Kierstan Bell likely getting some minutes.

“There’s not one person that’s going to step up and fill her shoes,” Hammon said of Gray after Game 3. “It’s going to be a next-woman-up type of situation. No one person is going to replace her.”

Guards have made the difference in the Finals, and it’s why the Aces stormed out to a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games at home.

New York coach Sandy Brondello said that was why the Liberty lost Game 2 by 28 points at Michelob Ultra Arena on Wednesday. Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot shot a combined 5 of 19 and had seven total assists, and league MVP Breanna Stewart was held to 14 points on 17 shots.

It’s why the Aces took over in the second half of Game 1, and dominated in Game 2. Gray, Kelsey Plum and Young combined for 72 points in Game 1, 61 in Game 2.

In Game 3, the three combined for 48 points; 29 from Plum. Gray (4 of 12) and Young (2 of 9) shot 28.5%.

Ionescu made up for her rough shooting (3 of 9) with 11 assists Sunday.

Plum said she felt the Aces’ offense was stagnant in Game 3, which is what led to the team shooting a paltry 33% from the floor – and included a 4-for-16 night from Wilson – for the Aces’ third loss at Barclays Center this season.

“When they’re able to load up and swing the ball, it’s really hard to get good looks,” Plum said. “I feel like we didn’t do a good job moving the ball, moving our players and playing off closeouts, which (had) given us success the first two games.”

Gray’s uncertainty for Game 4 raises the question of who will direct the Aces’ offense.

Plum and Young can play point guard. Plum had 20 games, including the playoffs, with at least five assists. Young had 22, also including the postseason. Their ability to run an offense isn’t the problem.

Plum prefers to play an isolation game at the top of the key and try to beat her defender to the basket. If she has an open look, she possesses a shoot-first mentality, which she uses to her advantage when she finds herself in favorable mismatches, like center Jonquel Jones or another taller defender covering her.

If Young or Plum run the offense, the other must be ready to shoot. And if shots aren’t falling, it closes the space for Wilson.

Wilson said the Aces’ tempo was fine Sunday; shots just didn’t go in.

“I don’t think anything was sped up or rushed. I was just getting to my spots and they just didn’t hit,” Wilson said. “Next game, hopefully we can get back to the drawing board, get some shots up in the gym a little bit, and go from there.”

The Aces have relied on their defense all season, and will need to do it again if offense comes at a premium. Though the Liberty shot 52% from the floor Sunday, the Aces controlled the rebounding battle with eight on the offensive glass against the tall Liberty frontcourt of Stewart and Jones. Getting second-chance opportunities can make a difference.

They’ll need someone to make that difference again; if not it will be a winner-take-all Game 5 on Friday in Las Vegas.

“It’s hard to beat any team three times in a row. We knew they weren’t going to go away,” Hammon said. “We know they are good in this building, and they played better than us (Sunday).”