Chelsea Gray credits her upturn in form in the second half of the WNBA season to her "honest and raw" relationship with A'ja Wilson, who has led the team to the brink of another championship.

The Aces are two wins from their third championship in the space of four years, having built a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals. 

Wilson put up 28 points as the Aces won 91-78 in Game 2, while Gray registered a game-high 10 assists.

Gray also led the way with 10 assists in Game 1, in an 89-86 win for Las Vegas, while four-time league MVP Wilson had 21 points.

The Aces were struggling with an 8-8 record at the end of June, with Gray enduring a difficult start to the season.

But Gray averaged 7.1 assists per game from the start of July onwards, and she believes a motivational conversation with Wilson contributed to her improvement.

Wilson told Gray she should be the team's leading assister during that difficult patch, and she has taken up that mantle brilliantly in the last few months.

"Our relationship is super honest and raw. I've cried in front of her. She's cried in front of me," Gray said of her team-mate, as quoted by ESPN.

"It's that kind of bond where we can have conversations in the middle of the game, and we understand where we're coming from."

Game three prep #RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/YvWclLJDyU

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 8, 2025

Wilson, meanwhile, believes Gray's calming presence was key in their playoff series wins over the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever. 

"She's always going to be her true self, and it allows you to be your true self," Wilson said. 

"I think that has always been our friendship and our bond. She's calm through the storm. I'm so grateful for her to be our point guard."

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals takes place at PHX Arena in Arizona on Wednesday, and Game 4 – which could prove to be the clincher – is set for Friday at the same venue.