DURHAM, N.C. – Five former Duke Blue Devils will begin their pursuit of the WNBA Championship this Sunday as the opening round of the playoffs commences. Duke is represented across five teams, with three players and two former players in staff roles.
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The initial games will be broadcast on ABC, USA, and Prime on Sunday, September 27, followed by Game Two airing on ESPN, USA, and Prime on September 29.
Chelsea Gray, the starting point guard for the No. 3 seed Las Vegas Aces, leads the group. Gray has four WNBA titles, including last year's championship with the Aces, and averages 12.0 points along with 6.7 assists per game, ranking fifth in the league.
Elizabeth Balogun and Miela Sowah have both signed Player Development Contracts this season. Balogun is with the eighth-seeded New York Liberty, while Sowah plays as a guard for the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries.
In front office roles, Jasmine Thomas serves as the Assistant General Manager for the Dallas Wings, and Karima Christmas-Kelly is an assistant coach for the Indiana Fever.
In playoff matchups, Gray's Aces will face off against the Indiana Fever, where Christmas-Kelly's team had the upper hand in the regular season, winning two of three meetings. Thomas and the Dallas Wings, the No. 7 seed, will take on Sowah and the Valkyries. The winners of these series will meet in a Best of 5 semifinal.
Balogun and the Liberty will compete against the top-seed Minnesota Lynx, having secured two wins in their previous three matchups this season.