Dawn Staley Issues Stern Warning For Las Vegas Aces Star Chelsea Gray

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley issued a playful yet stern warning to Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray following her outstanding performance in Team USA’s Olympic opener against Japan on Monday.

In a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, Staley joked, "Chelsea Gray don’t you ever retire!" The tweet followed Gray’s impressive game.

Gray was instrumental in Team USA’s 102-76 victory over Japan, slicing through the defense to create scoring opportunities for her teammates. She finished with 13 assists, just one shy of the American Olympic record. Her exceptional playmaking was a key component of the team’s strong ball movement, which resulted in a total of 34 assists.

The U.S. women's basketball team leveraged their superior size against the smaller Japanese team, dominating the paint with 64 points. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart led the charge inside, with Wilson scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and Stewart adding 22 points and eight rebounds. Brittney Griner also contributed 11 points and secured nine rebounds.

Despite a slow start from beyond the arc, where Team USA made just one of their first 13 attempts, their dominance in the paint ensured a comfortable victory. Japan briefly stayed competitive with nine first-half 3-pointers, but the U.S. pulled away with a strong finish to the second quarter and a dominant third quarter.

Sabrina Ionescu, in her Olympic debut, also shined by hitting three 3-pointers and dishing out five assists.

With the win, Team USA extended their Olympic winning streak to 56 games, dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Related: Dawn Staley’s Support Message For Team USA’s Kahleah Copper Goes Viral After Scary Collision

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