“Everybody kind of rallies the troops”: When Geno Auriemma recalled Chelsea Gray’s injury to heap praise for Duke along with other “impressive” teams 

In a 2014 interview, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma discussed teams that impressed him and how Chelsea Gray's injury helped Duke emerge as a team.

Talking to SNY about teams that impressed him, Auriemma said:

"I think Stanford's gotten a lot better from the time we played them. They're playing really really well. I've not seen Notre Dame play a lot, but the few times I have seen them. Obviously, they're a different team than they were last year, but in some ways, they're a better team than they were."

He then talked about Duke.

"And Duke's got better since we played them. It's funny how that injury with Chelsea Gray," he said, "Sometimes when you lose a really good player, everyone kind of rallies the troops and things start to happen that are positive."

In early January 2014, during a home game against Boston College, Duke point guard Chelsea Gray suffered a fractured right kneecap. She dislocated the same knee in February 2013. The injury prematurely ended her senior season. At the time, she was averaging 10.8 points, 7.2 assists (sixth nationally), 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 steals in 17 games and was on the verge of becoming Duke's all-time assist leader.

A month later, Alexis Jones also tore her ACL, leaving Duke without a true point guard by March. Gray’s absence hurt the team’s offense and leadership. Duke lost to DePaul in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This was its first home tournament loss since 1996.

Sophomore Alexis Jones and freshman Tricia Liston tried to fill the gap during Gray's absence. Jones had some experience but struggled, while Liston handled more of the offense and led the team in scoring.

Chelsea Gray’s post-recovery rise in the WNBA

Despite two major knee injuries, Gray concluded her Duke career with 545 assists (second in program history) and 1,210 points.

Gray was drafted in 2014 but didn’t play immediately because she was still recovering from an injury. She made her WNBA debut in 2015 with the Connecticut Sun after a year of rehab. Although she missed her rookie season, she became an important player off the bench.

In 2016, she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks. That same year, the Sparks won the WNBA championship, and Gray played a key role. In 2017, she became a WNBA All-Star known for her elite passing and clutch shooting.

In 2022, she led the Las Vegas Aces to a championship and was named WNBA Finals MVP.