‘She can do it all’: Aces All-Star balancing motherhood, career

Chelsea Gray’s face lit up as she was handed a tiny garment bag on her way to the photo area of the Aces’ media day Thursday.

“Last year, I was barely able to walk,” she’d just finished telling reporters. “I’m just in a good space right now.”

That much was evident as the three-time WNBA champion and six-time All-Star went on to pose for pictures with her 1-year-old son, Lennox, who sported his own black and silver Aces jersey to match hers.

At one point, the toddler stumbled and fell into the photo backdrop while chasing a prop basketball. Without missing a beat, Gray came to the rescue. Her wife, Tipesa, offered to pick their son up, but the point guard reassured her that everything was OK.

Gray is back to full strength on and off the court after missing the first 12 games of last season with a lingering foot injury from the Aces’ 2023 WNBA title run.

After dominating as the Finals MVP of the Miami-based Unrivaled offseason league in March, she continues to balance her professional pursuits and motherhood as one of two moms on the Aces’ roster. The other is Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who is pregnant with her second child.

No one denies that Gray has changed since Lennox was born in February 2024.

“Coming off the court, (Lennox) is ready to play no matter what,” Gray said. “It doesn’t matter if I won, if I had a bad game or bad practice. (I’ve learned) compartmentalizing at its finest.”

Aces coach Becky Hammon has noticed the shift, saying that Gray now has a “different level of joy to her.” Tipesa Gray describes it as Gray’s newfound art of “letting go,” which wasn’t always easy.

Chelsea Gray underwent foot surgery in late 2023 while Tipesa was in her third trimester carrying Lennox. Having to travel with a medical scooter left Gray frustrated that she couldn’t traverse the stairs in their home to help prepare for the baby’s arrival.

Now, Gray says she can “sprint down the stairs real quick, come back up.” She can also be hands-on as Lennox dunks on a mini-hoop in their home and “gravitates” toward anything basketball-related.

“It’s pretty dope to be able to do stuff as a family,” Gray said. “Obviously, I’m tired and stuff, but I’m not limited, which was really, really tough.”

Mommy guilt

Mother’s Day marks the family’s “last weekend to just be together as a family before things really start rolling” in the WNBA season, Tipesa said.

The Aces open at the New York Liberty on May 17.

Hammon, who has two sons with her wife, Brenda Milano, said she’s felt “mommy guilt” while away from Cayden, 9, and Samuel, 7. It’s something she’s spoken to Gray about.

“Nothing’s more important than your kids,” Hammon said. “It’s heavy because a mother’s heart is different, and I think it’s looked at by society differently, so you carry that around. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you have to do to provide for your family, and hope to God they understand when they get older.”

Hammon isn’t the only one around to remind Gray that the example she’s setting is important.

“Lennox gets to watch her do something that she loves,” Tipesa said, “and that’s just as important as spending time with him sometimes: to allow him to see her be successful and to chase her dreams, and (understand) that she can do it all.”

Setting an example

Tipesa Gray said she hopes her family also can be an example of what’s possible for other women’s basketball players. There was a time in the WNBA when it was “unheard of” for players to have babies or start families while they were playing, she said.

Hammon, who played in the league from 1999 to 2014, is an example.

“The opportunity for (Gray) to actually play in front of her son, I think that’s really super special. I didn’t have that,” Hammon said. “And, man, I wish my kids could have seen me play.”

But many players, past and present, have had a great impact on the league while parenting. Retired WNBA legend Candace Parker is Lennox’s godmother. She gave birth to the oldest of her three children, Lailaa, early in her decorated career.

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx Napheesa Collier are also moms. The business partners consulted Gray as they founded Unrivaled, which she often praised for providing free day care to its players. While some WNBA teams provide on-site day care, it’s not a league standard.

The Grays want that to change, noting that when Lennox comes to Aces games, it means Tipesa can’t pay attention to the action on the court.

Chelsea Gray also mentioned that other players might not have a partner or a support system available to help.

“I think it’s different for everyone, but (day care) is necessary,” Gray said. “Honestly, (Unrivaled) is a time where you really don’t have to worry. You know where your kid’s at, you know they’re having fun.”

Until something changes in the WNBA, Hammon hopes to help in other ways.

“I think we’ve got to take some of that mystique off mothers that work and are primary breadwinners in these families,” she said. “I definitely want to help in any way I can to make sure their minds are clear and they feel good about going to work every day.”

Contact Callie Fin at [email protected]. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.